TRANSPORT

Aviation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 26 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 11-12WS, on Royal and Ministerial air travel, what the cost will be of the small aircraft for official travel within the UK.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Following the Department's approval for the acquisition of a small fixed wing aircraft, the royal household are currently conducting an evaluation exercise (including costings) in preparation for the issue of tender documentation for issue later this year.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department and its agencies spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Expenditure by the Department for Transport and Executive agencies was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 DFT Central 26,700,000 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 10,400,000 
			 Highways Agency 1,600,000 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 1,075,000 
			 Driving Standards Agency 299,700 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency 171,800 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 80,500 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 30,000 
		
	
	Major areas of spend were on campaigns such as THINK! road safety; ACT ON CO2; concessionary bus fares; aviation security and vehicle taxation.

Electrification

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in meeting the Government's targets to increase the electrification of railways.

Tom Harris: The Government have not set any targets to increase rail electrification. However, the Department for Transport is working closely with the rail industry to re-examine the business case for electrification, explore how costs can be reduced and to agree priority schemes. The aim is to produce an indicative implementation plan by the end of 2008.

Great Western Trains: Standards

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library the Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average statistics for  (a) First Great Western services for each year since 2006 and  (b) the train operating companies which ran those services now operated by First Great Western during 2002 to 2006.

Tom Harris: The figures are as follows (period 1 starts 1 April each year. No figures are available for early 2002 for Wessex Trains, as it had been created by splitting up another franchise the previous year. First Great Western Link took over from Thames Trains on 1 April 2004):
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Rail 4-weekly period  Old First Great Western  Thames Trains/ First Great Western Link  Wessex Trains 
			  2002-03
			 1 72.1 80.4 n/a 
			 2 72.7 80.5 n/a 
			 3 73.5 80.6 n/a 
			 4 74.9 81.0 n/a 
			 5 75.1 81.0 n/a 
			 6 74.8 81.1 n/a 
			 7 75.1 81.5 81.9 
			 8 74.0 81.0 81.4 
			 9 73.2 80.7 81.4 
			 10 72.1 80.4 80.9 
			 11 71.1 79.8 80.7 
			 12 71.3 79.6 81.0 
			 13 71.9 79.2 81.1 
			 
			  2003-04
			 1 72.0 78.8 81.0 
			 2 72.2 78.7 81.4 
			 3 71.5 78.1 81.5 
			 4 71.0 77.8 81.6 
			 5 70.3 77.3 81.6 
			 6 70.0 77.0 81.9 
			 7 69.0 76.3 82.0 
			 8 70.0 76.7 82.6 
			 9 71.4 77.4 82.7 
			 10 72.2 77.6 83.1 
			 11 73.4 78.2 83.3 
			 12 73.7 78.6 83.5 
			 13 73.9 79.1 83.7 
			 
			  2004-05
			 1 74.3 79.5 84.1 
			 2 74.6 79.7 84.1 
			 3 75.5 80.3 84.2 
			 4 76.5 81.1 84.3 
			 5 77.9 81.6 84.7 
			 6 78.8 82.0 84.8 
			 7 80.1 82.8 84.8 
			 8 79.6 82.8 84.8 
			 9 80.1 82.9 85.3 
			 10 80.4 83.1 85.5 
			 11 80.1 83.1 85.6 
			 12 79.8 83.0 85.6 
			 13 79.6 82.9 85.4 
			 
			  2005-06
			 1 79.4 83.0 85.3 
			 2 79.1 82.9 85.3 
			 3 78.1 82.6 85.0 
			 4 77.0 82.3 84.7 
			 5 77.0 82.6 84.8 
			 6 76.9 82.8 85.1 
			 7 76.6 83.1 85.2 
			 8 76.2 83.2 85.2 
			 9 74.9 82.9 84.7 
			 10 74.8 83.0 84.6 
			 11 75.1 83.1 84.8 
			 12 75.0 83.3 85.0 
			 13 74.5 83.5 85.2 
		
	
	
		
			  New First Great Western 
			   Percentage 
			  2006-07  
			 1 82.9 
			 2 83.1 
			 3 83.6 
			 4 83.8 
			 5 83.7 
			 6 83.5 
			 7 83.5 
			 8 84.1 
			 9 84.2 
			 10 84.0 
			 11 83.4 
			 12 83.3 
			 13 83.2 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 1 83.0 
			 2 82.8 
			 3 82.7 
			 4 82.5 
			 5 82.4 
			 6 82.7 
			 7 82.6 
			 8 82.3 
			 9 82.5 
			 10 82.4 
			 11 82.8 
			 12 83.0 
			 13 83.1 
			   
			  2008-09  
			 1 83.6 
			 2 83.9

Railways: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains stop daily at  (a) Preston,  (b) Chorley,  (c) Adlington,  (d) Blackrod and  (e) Horwich Parkway stations.

Tom Harris: This public timetable information is available in various hardcopy versions (such as the "UK Rail Timetable" published by The Stationery Office), or can be electronically downloaded from the Network Rail website (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/) as "Electronic National Rail Timetable" (eNRT). Current train service information is also available through the National Rail website
	(http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/).

Railways: Voluntary Sector

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will visit the North York Moors Railway to meet the volunteers who man the operation to discuss the running of the railway.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State for Transport has no immediate plans to visit the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Railways: Voluntary Sector

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received on the effect on volunteers in community and other railways of recent rising fuel costs in enabling them to travel to railway stations; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has not received any direct representations on this issue. Community Rail volunteers are typically members of the communities those railways serve. They therefore tend to live close to those railways, and often have low transport costs in getting to the relevant local rail stations.

Travel: Concessions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to make the monetary value of a concessionary bus pass available to elderly people with mobility difficulties for use on other forms of transport; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: There are no proposals to give residents eligible for concessionary travel the monetary value of a concessionary bus pass as an alternative to taking it up. The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 preserves the flexibility of Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs) to enhance their schemes locally at their own expense. At its discretion a TCA can choose to offer its residents travel vouchers or tokens for local use in taxis. The offer of any such enhancement and the monetary value of it is entirely a matter for the TCA as vouchers or tokens are not part of the statutory entitlement to concessionary travel.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency: Bolton

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when a Minister in his Department last visited the Child Support Agency offices in Bolton.

James Plaskitt: There have been no visits by Ministers within the Department to Child Support Agency offices in Bolton. However, both I and my noble Friend Lord McKenzie of Luton made several visits to Child Support Agency offices in the last year.

Child Support Agency: Telephone Services

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has considered the merits of replacing the 0845 telephone number for the Child Support Agency with a local-rate telephone number.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 23 June 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has considered the merits of replacing the 0845 telephone number for the Child Support Agency with a local rate telephone number.
	The Child Support Agency's 0845 telephone numbers are charged at the rate of a local call from a landline telephone. Calls from mobile phones are charged at a rate determined by the service provider.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what level of income is protected with regard to the recovery of Child Support Agency arrears via a deduction from earnings order; and what other limits restrict the extent to which such arrears may be recovered.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 23 June 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what level of income is protected with regard to the recovery of Child Support Agency arrears via a deduction from earnings order; and what other limits restrict the extent to which such arrears may be recovered.
	In new scheme cases the non-resident parent should be left with a minimum of 60% of net earnings after making child maintenance payments. This is set out in the Child Support (Collection and Enforcement) Regulations 1992, Regulation 11(2).
	The protected earnings rate on the old scheme may also enable deductions up to 40% of net earnings, though this may vary from case to case as the figure takes personal circumstances into account.
	The Agency has set a ceiling for each deduction from earnings order which ensures that the maximum deduction does not exceed 40% of net earnings, leaving 60% of earnings protected.
	The Agency will consider imposing the maximum deduction through a deduction from earnings order where child maintenance arrears are outstanding and the non-resident parent does not agree an acceptable repayment schedule. The Agency is committed to collect more money for more children and get tougher on non-resident parents who avoid their financial responsibilities.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what factors are taken into account by the Child Support Agency when calculating the repayment of arrears. [Official Report, 30 June 2008, Vol. 478, c. 6MC.]

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 23 June 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what factors are taken into account by the Child Support Agency when calculating the repayment of arrears.
	There are a number of factors to consider where child maintenance debt is outstanding and the non-resident parent is not able to offer full repayment immediately. Before deciding whether it is appropriate to collect arrears of child maintenance the Agency will consider the welfare of any child likely to be affected by an agreement. There is also a requirement for each parent to make adequate financial provision for their children which is a basic principle of the Child Support Act 1991. The actual negotiation process will establish the relevant facts, request further details where necessary and review representations made by the non-resident parent. The aim is to achieve the best possible agreement on behalf of all parties.
	If the Agency cannot secure immediate repayment in full from the non-resident parent, it aims to reach agreements that will see arrears paid back within two years wherever possible. Before forming an opinion about accepting a repayment offer, the Agency will take into account the circumstances of the case and all other relevant considerations.
	In some cases where an agreement cannot be reached which takes appropriate account of the welfare of the children affected, the non-resident parent's obligations and other relevant circumstances, it may be necessary to pursue recovery through legal enforcement methods. This is a key feature of the Operational Improvement Plan, launched in April 2006.
	The Agency collected or arranged more than £1 billion in maintenance in the twelve months to March 2008, of which £126m was arrears. This is almost twice the £68 million of arrears collected in the year to March 2006 before the full introduction of the Operational Improvement Plan.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Housing Benefit: Foreigners

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of expenditure on  (a) housing benefit and  (b) council tax benefit for non-UK nationals in (i) 1997 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many non-UK citizens received  (a) housing benefit and  (b) council tax benefit in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) EU nationals and (ii) non-EU nationals receiving such benefits; and what the 10 nationalities with the greatest number of claims were in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 5 June 2008
	 The information is not available.

Social Security Benefits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's forecasts are for  (a) on-flow,  (b) off-flow and  (c) stock estimates for (i) incapacity benefit, (ii) income support, broken down by statistical group, and (iii) employment and support allowance for each of the next five years.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 10 June 2008
	The available information is in the following tables. The information is provided for the period up to the end of the Government's spending plans, 2010-11, and does not take account of any future policy announcements.
	
		
			  Incapacity benefits and employment support allowance: estimated number of claimants, flows onto and off benefit 
			  Thousand  (estimated outturn) 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			  Stock 
			 Incapacity Benefit 2,400 2,220 1,930 1,670 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 220 200 190 180 
			 Employment and Support Allowance n/a 100 280 480 
			  
			  On-flows 
			 Incapacity Benefit 600 320 40 20 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Employment and Support Allowance n/a 280 580 600 
			  
			  Off-flows 
			 Incapacity Benefit 640 460 260 250 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 20 20 10 10 
			 Employment and Support Allowance n/a 60 350 420 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 thousand. Components may not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures relate to adults of working-age. 3. Severe disablement allowance closed to new claimants in April 2001. 4. Employment and support allowance (ESA) is introduced in October 2008 and replaces incapacity benefit for new claimants. Figures for 2008-09 for ESA therefore relate to six months only. 5. Figures for on-flows to incapacity benefit from 2008-09 onwards include estimates of claimants who are likely to have a break in their claim and will be allowed to receive incapacity benefit again under linking rules. 6. Figures are consistent with benefit expenditure tables available on the DWP website through the following link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp 
		
	
	
		
			  Income support: Estimated number of claimants, flows onto and off benefit 
			  Thousand (estimated outturn) 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Income Support stock 2,120 2,050 1,730 1,510 
			  of which: 
			 Sick or disabled 1,250 1,200 990 860 
			 Lone Parent 760 730 610 520 
			 Others 120 120 130 130 
			  
			 Income Support on-flow 720 530 270 240 
			  of which: 
			 Sick or disabled 440 260 10 0 
			 Lone Parent 220 210 190 180 
			 Others 60 60 70 70 
			  
			 Income Support off-flow 740 680 580 440 
			  of which: 
			 Sick or disabled 450 390 200 110 
			 Lone Parent 240 240 320 270 
			 Others 60 60 60 60 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 thousand. Components may not sum due to rounding. 2. Income support on the grounds of incapacity will no longer be payable to new claimants after the introduction of employment and support allowance in October 2008. 3. Figures for 'Others' include income support for carers, pregnant women and ex-minimum income guarantee claimants. 4. Figures are consistent with benefit expenditure tables available on the DWP website through the following link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp

Vertex Data Science

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the performance of Vertex Data Science Ltd in providing services at the Child Support Agency centre in Bolton;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Vertex Data Science Ltd in delivering the objectives of the Child Support Agency;
	(3)  what representations he has received on the retention of staff by Vertex Data Science Ltd at the Child Support Agency's offices in Bolton.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 23 June 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	;
	; and
	What representations he has received on the retention of staff by Vertex Data Science Ltd at the Child Support Agency's offices in Bolton.
	Vertex Data Science Ltd. manages the CSA Bolton site, a unit the Agency established to deal with cases which for technical reasons can not be processed on the new computer system (CS2) and therefore need to be administered clerically. By moving all the clerical work undertaken by the Agency to this one site from September 2006, the Agency was able to release people to focus on other improvement work outlined in the Operational Improvement Plan, including reducing the number of uncleared applications and strengthening enforcement. This has contributed to the Agency meeting or exceeding all of its 2007/08 Secretary of State targets and collecting over £1 billion in child maintenance for over 750,000 children.
	Since September 2006, Vertex has arranged and collected more than £40 million of maintenance payments. While the arrangement has contributed to the Agency's improvement, there have also been some operational issues which have impacted on client service. The Agency took steps to ensure that our service to clients improved by renegotiating the contract with Vertex to allow them to focus on keeping maintenance flowing to children. The Agency also increased its resource dedicated to progressing clerical cases by retaining responsibility for new clerical cases until first payment stage.
	In addition, all complaints with MP or Independent Case Examiner involvement, as well as those cases that require a review are now being dealt with by specialist caseworkers within the Agency. Clerical cases represent less than three per cent of all assessed cases. While the administration of these cases will continue to present a challenge, the Agency is continually working with its contractors to improve the service to these clients.
	The Agency is committed to implementing an IT upgrade which will introduce a series of system checkpoints, reducing the number of stuck cases which currently need to be administered clerically.
	The retention of employees at CSA Bolton is a matter for Vertex Data Science Ltd as they are responsible for employing the people required to deliver the service, under the contract which currently runs to September 2008.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

SCOTLAND

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on the siting of nuclear waste disposal facilities in Scotland.

David Cairns: The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions on the siting of nuclear waste disposal facilities in Scotland, which is a devolved matter there.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland.

David Cairns: None. HMRC is conducting an estates review as the organisation has identified that it can operate more efficiently, estimating that it has around 30 to 40 per cent. excess office space overall. This review follows the creation of the department from the former Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise and aims to make savings totalling £100 million by 2011. In doing so, HMRC is committed to matching its future business strategy with the correct provision of accommodation and people by consulting with staff, trade unions, MPs, local authorities and other stakeholders. The consultation regarding Scottish proposals ends on 30 July and I urge all stakeholders to participate in the process.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Leader of the House what estimate she has made of the average pay per hour worked by  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary staff in her Office in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by pay band.

Helen Goodman: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office for these purposes. The pay scales for Cabinet Office staff by pay band will be given in the answer by that Department.

Departmental Trade Unions

Bob Spink: To ask the Leader of the House which trades unions represent members of staff in her Office.

Helen Goodman: The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Prospect and the First Division Association (FDA) have a partnership agreement with the Cabinet Office and represent different sections of Cabinet Office staff.

Members: Allowances

David Amess: To ask the Leader of the House what allowance is payable to hon. Members successful in the ballot for private Members' Bills to assist with drafting costs; when the allowance was last increased; what the value of the allowance is expressed in prices at the date it was last increased; whether she plans to increase it; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: Provision was made by resolution of the House of 29 November 1971 for a payment of not more than £200 towards drafting assistance for those Members coming in the first ten places in the ballot for private Members' Bills. The provision has not been increased since that date and would now be worth a little over £2,000 expressed in current prices.
	There have been very few claims against the allowance for many years. Alternative sources of assistance to Members have increased greatly since 1971 and, as the Government's response to the Procedure Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2002-03 (HC 333) made clear, the Government have undertaken that the resources of Parliamentary Counsel will be applied to Bills which are likely to pass "for the purpose of ensuring that its terms give effect to its supporters' intentions" (Second Special Report from the Procedure Committee of Session 2003-04 HC 610, para. 20). The Government accordingly have no plans to propose an increase in the sum.

Members: Pay

Nigel Evans: To ask the Leader of the House how much the most recent review of hon. Members' pay and allowances cost.

Harriet Harman: The cost of the review of parliamentary pay and pensions conducted by Sir John Baker was £11,696.40. This figure cost covers Sir John Baker's 15 days spent on the review since the end of January, reimbursement of his PA's cost and the publication of the report (Cm 7416) on Tuesday 17 June.

OLYMPICS

Contractors: Transport

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will have discussions with Transport for London on the use of London Underground by contractors working on the Olympic site.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Park will have an estimated 9,000 workers on-site at peak construction time in 2010. In addition, an estimated 12,000 workers will be operational on the Olympic Village and Stratford City Development sites.
	Workers will use a range of public transport including LU to travel to and from the Olympic Park site. In liaison with TfL, the ODA has studied the potential impact of this demand on the London Underground network and concluded that the impact is manageable.
	Both the ODA and the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) are working with London Underground (LU) and Transport for London (TfL) to ensure that the plans to transport workers to and from the Olympic Park site are efficient and cause minimum disruption.

Labour Statistics

Joan Humble: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many local residents are employed on the construction of facilities for the London Olympics; and how many of those were unemployed prior to taking up such employment.

Tessa Jowell: The ODA and partners are working hard to ensure that we take advantage of the tremendous opportunity that the Games provide us to improve employment and skills levels of East Londoners. Currently, 451 local residents from the five Olympic host boroughs are employed on the Olympic site. 21 per cent. of these were previously unemployed.

Costs

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent estimate is of the likely cost of the 2012 London Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: In March 2007 I announced that the overall public sector Olympics funding package was £9.325 billion and that budget is unchanged. The costs of delivering the venues and infrastructure in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games will not exceed that budget.
	LOCOG are responsible for staging the Games, which is being funded by the private sector.

Budget Forecast

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will make a statement on the most recent budget forecast for the 2012 London Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: In March 2007, I announced a funding package of £9.325 billion for the Games. This funding package has not changed.

London Aquatic Centre

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much the London aquatic centre will cost.

Tessa Jowell: The Aquatics Centre and its integrated bridge will be delivered within the agreed budget of £303 million which was announced in April 2008.

Paralympics

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what discussions she has had with the International Paralympics Committee on provision of facilities for athletes with learning disabilities to train for the 2012 London Paralympics.

Tessa Jowell: I have had no discussions specifically about the training and participation of athletes with an intellectual disability.
	As the hon. Member will know, people with intellectual disabilities are currently precluded from competing in the Paralympic games. Although ultimately a matter for the International Paralympic Committee, I know this matter is subject to review.
	I am aware of the great enthusiasm of athletes with intellectual disabilities, and the importance they place on having the opportunity to compete in 2012.

Olympic Games 2012: Cost Effectiveness

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what criteria she plans to use to assess whether the 2012 London Olympic Games provide value for money.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic programme is subject to regular National Audit Office Value for Money Audits. The latest NAO Report—'Preparations for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Progress Report'—was published on 20 June 2008. Previous reports have covered risk assessment and management (February 2007) and the budget for the 2012 Games (July 2007).
	The success of the 2012 games will also be assessed against other published indicators, in particular those identified in "Public Service Agreement 22 (PSA 22)—Deliver a successful Olympic Games and Paralympic Games with a sustainable legacy and get more children and young people taking part in high quality PE and sport". The PSA 22 delivery agreement was published by HM Treasury in October 2007.

WALES

Departmental Furniture

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) chairs,  (b) desks and  (c) other office furnishings have been purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; and at what cost in each case.

Paul Murphy: In the last five years, my Department has made the following purchases in respect of departmental furnishing.
	 (a) Eight chairs at a cost of £1,028.07;
	 (b) Seven desks at a cost of £771.50;
	 (c) Other office furnishings totalling £439.70.
	This brings the total spend to £2,239.27. These purchases were all made in the financial year 2006-07.

Departmental Home Working

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in his Department are authorised to work from home.

Paul Murphy: Eight members of Wales Office staff have laptops and related equipment which enables them to work from home. Some use this on an ad hoc basis, while others have a more regular working from home arrangement.
	A further 11 members of staff have Blackberries, which enable them to keep in touch by email while they are out of the office or travelling.

Departmental Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each such inquiry.

Paul Murphy: None.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Paul Murphy: Nil.

Departmental Vetting

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what procedures his Department follows for checking the criminal records of employees; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office only recruits existing civil servants and does not conduct criminal records checks itself.
	All staff are required to have counter terrorism clearance (and in some cases developed vetting). This includes disclosure and checking of all criminal convictions (spent and unspent).

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Carbon Emissions: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 386-87W, on carbon emissions: finance 
	(1)  what the main manmade contributing sources of output are of the six gases which are required to be reduced according to Kyoto targets;
	(2)  what volume of carbon dioxide emissions was produced in the UK in the latest year for which figures are available; and what target in tonnes has been set for such emissions under the Kyoto protocol.

Phil Woolas: h olding answer 20 June 2008
	The main sources of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) in the UK in 2006 were energy supply (40 per cent. of total UK CO2 emissions in 2006), transport (24 per cent.), business (17 per cent.) and residential (15 per cent.). The main sources of methane emissions (CH4) in the UK in 2006 were waste management (41 per cent. of total UK CH4 emissions in 2006) and agriculture (38 per cent.). The main sources of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in the UK in 2006 were agriculture (68 per cent. of total UK N2O emissions in 2006) and transport (15 per cent.). The primary source of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the UK is release of refrigerants. The primary sources of Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are from aluminium smelting and electronics manufacture. The primary sources of Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) in the UK are from magnesium smelting and from the release of SF6 used in electrical insulation.
	In 2006, emissions of UK carbon dioxide were 554.4 million tonnes. This figure includes emissions from the Crown Dependencies and those Overseas Territories that have joined the UK's ratification of the Kyoto protocol. This figure includes emissions and removals from land-use, land-use change and forestry, as accounted for under the Kyoto protocol. Our Kyoto target is to ensure emissions of the six greenhouse gases controlled under the protocol throughout the period 2008-12 are no higher than 3.412 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This equates to average emissions of no higher than 682.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. UK emissions in 2006 were 652.34 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent. This figure does not take into account additional emissions savings delivered through UK participation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) which was estimated to be 34 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2006.

Climate Change: Developing Countries

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the research project designed to help developing countries adapt to and plan for the consequences of climate change, announced at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change summit in December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK and the Netherlands are funding research into the economics of adaptation, to build our understanding of the benefits and costs of adapting to climate change in developing countries. The research team has made good progress since December 2007. Six countries have been identified as possible case studies, and detailed discussions have so far taken place in Vietnam, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Bangladesh and Bolivia, with a visit to Ghana from the research team due shortly. All of these countries have welcomed the initiative and expressed their demand for such analysis.
	We expect the first report from the research team next month. This will consist of a methodological and literature review. This report will be made publicly available. This will be the case for all interim reports produced in advance of the final study, which will be published towards the end of next year.

Dredging: River Thames

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what navigation safeguards will be applied to protect shipping and marine craft during dredging of the Thames in connection with the London Gateway Port;
	(2)  when dredging of the Thames will commence for the channel to accommodate the London Gateway Port.

Jonathan R Shaw: Consents to undertake dredging to develop and subsequently maintain navigational areas within the London Gateway Port are given by the London Gateway Port Harbour Empowerment Order 2008, issued by Department for Transport that came into force on 16 May 2008.
	The timing of the proposed dredging is a commercial decision for the new Harbour Authority, London Gateway Port Ltd.
	Responsibility for maintaining navigational safety within the tidal Thames is the responsibility of the Port of London Authority.

Fisheries: Quotas

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that additional fishing quota allocated to the UK is used in a sustainable way.

Jonathan R Shaw: I am not aware of any additional fishing quota being allocated to the UK.

Fisheries: Quotas

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of plaice were caught in area 7E in each of the last three years; and what percentage of the UK's quota for plaice this represented in each year.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on catches of plaice by the UK fishing fleet in the Western English Channel (Area 7E) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Plaice quota and landings for UK vessels 
			   Total UK end-year quota for plaice (Tonnes)  Plaice caught in Area 7E (Tonnes)  Percentage 
			 2005 16,722 882 5 
			 2006 15,648 962 6 
			 2007 14,317 677 5

Flood Control: EU Grants and Loans

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a flood defence scheme in Powick, Worcestershire, would be eligible for European funding made available from bodies other than the Environment Agency.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 20 June 2008
	Yes, other funding sources can be utilised for Flood Defence Schemes such as Powick in Worcestershire.
	European funding has been used to deliver Flood Defence Schemes around the country. These funds supported partnership approaches including between local authorities, regional development agencies, developers and the Environment Agency.

Flood Control: Grants

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants are available to enable people to finance flood defences for domestic properties; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Currently there is no Government grant scheme offering assistance to those wishing to install property-level resistance and resilience measures.
	However, we have undertaken a £500,000 pilot scheme looking at the best way of providing financial assistance to people to install flood proofing measures on a mix of individual properties including both dwellings and small businesses. Through the local authorities and Environment Agency teams working on these pilot projects, we will monitor the effectiveness of the chosen solutions as and when they are tested through flooding.
	local authorities have some flexibility in providing discretionary assistance for repairs and adaptations. It is for local authorities to decide the circumstances in which to give discretionary assistance and what form that assistance may take (e.g. grants, loans, equity release schemes etc.).

Genetically Modified Organisms: Seeds

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy on the use of terminator seeds is.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 20 June 2008
	In 2000 a decision was reached under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that 'terminator'-type seeds should not be approved for field trials or commercial release without an appropriate assessment of their possible impact. As a party to the CBD we support that decision. There are no terminator seeds in commercial use anywhere in the world at present, and as far as we are aware there are no plans for any to be introduced in the foreseeable future.

Marine Fisheries Agency

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had on the career development of staff of the coastal offices of the Marine and Fisheries Agency following the entry into force of the proposed Marine Bill.

Jonathan R Shaw: Responsibility for career development in the Marine and Fisheries Agency rests with the chief executive, his management team and individual staff members. They will be considering issues relating to career development and training as part of the continued development of the agency, mindful of the Marine Bill and the agency's probable transition to a Marine Management Organisation.

Marine Fisheries Agency

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he made of the cost of reforming the Marine and Fisheries Agency to meet the policy objectives set out in the draft Marine Bill;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing the Marine Management Organisation as a non-departmental public body.

Jonathan R Shaw: The proposed Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will be an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) charged with making the sustainable development of the marine area a reality.
	The MMO will be built on the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) and where practicable we are transferring functions to the MFA in advance of the establishment of the MMO. I am keen to achieve a smooth transition from the Marine and Fisheries Agency to the Marine Management Organisation, and to start work towards the new organisation in good time. A budget of £1 million has been allocated to support the continued development of the Marine and Fisheries Agency in 2008-09, mindful of its probable transition to the MMO. This work is not dependent on the parliamentary process.
	Indicative one-off set-up costs for establishing the MMO as an NDPB have been included in the Draft Marine Bill Impact Assessment which was published on 3 April 2008.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Buildings: Carbon Emissions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on  (a) the ruling of the European Court of Justice in relation to the use of on-site power generation through energy service companies and  (b) the implications of the ruling for the Government's strategy on zero-carbon buildings.

Iain Wright: The Government are currently considering the implications of the judgement including the impact on its strategy on zero carbon buildings.

Citizenship: Education

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2007,  Official Report, column 115W, on citizenship: education, what further progress her Department has made in  (a) disseminating guidance for teaching materials for use in citizenship courses in madrassahs and  (b) increasing the take-up of such materials;
	(2)  pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 405W, on community relations: religion, what progress her Department has made in establishing an advisory group on citizenship education classes run by mosque schools.

Parmjit Dhanda: In conjunction with the Department for Children, Schools and Families, a contract has been awarded to the Schools Development Support Agency (SDSA) to work with Muslim communities to review existing work and develop citizenship classes for use in mosque schools. SDSA are currently developing good practice materials to trial in a range of madrassahs across six local areas.
	An advisory group for this work has been established and has met. Membership of this group includes individuals from across Muslim communities and educational professionals.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to pilot the specialist cohesion teams to support local authorities facing cohesion challenges referred to on page 25 of the report, Guidance for local authorities on community cohesion contingency planning and tension monitoring, published in May 2008.

Parmjit Dhanda: The first pilot of Specialist Cohesion Teams will be in the Norfolk district of Breckland. We are in the process of choosing a second pilot. We aim to start both pilots late July 2008.

Community Relations: Housing

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1989W, on community relations: housing, when her Department plans to publish revised guidance to local authorities on the importance of the strategic housing role and the preparation of housing strategies.

Iain Wright: We aim to publish advice to local authorities about housing strategies as part of guidance on 'Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities' shortly. Guidance about the importance of the strategic housing role will be published later in the year.

Community Relations: Islam

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the report produced for her Department by Four X Ninety Ltd. on understanding Muslim ethnic communities.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government has commissioned the Change Institute to conduct research on Understanding Muslim Ethnic Communities. This work has not yet been completed.

Community Relations: Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has developed the framework of minimum standards for all imams and Muslim chaplains engaged by the state referred to in the Preventing Violent Extremism report published in April 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government commissioned The Experience Corps (TEC) to develop a framework of standards and a recruitment process for institutions engaging Muslim chaplains in public service. This was developed in consultation with a range of Government Departments, relevant sectors and institutions, faith organisations and chaplaincy groups. The draft framework and recruitment process, which we plan to pilot during 2008-09, will shortly be published on the Department's website.

Community Relations: Migration

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government have taken to help local communities manage the effects of migration.

Parmjit Dhanda: On 11 June 2008, we published a cross-government plan on 'Managing the Impacts of Migration: A Cross-Government Approach'. This sets out a range of current and future government actions which support local areas in maximising the benefits of migration while minimising any negative impacts at local level. The document can be viewed on the website of Communities and Local Government at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/migrationimpact
	Copies are also available in the Library of the House.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Government plans to publish its interfaith strategy.

Parmjit Dhanda: We plan to publish the inter faith strategy this summer.

Corporate Hospitality: Thames Gateway

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many receptions the Thames Gateway project has held in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: Our records show that the Thames Gateway Executive has held the following receptions:
	 FY2003 and FY2004
	No receptions held
	 FY2005
	Reception at the Thames Gateway Forum, the UK's foremost exhibition focusing on the Thames Gateway
	 FY2006
	Reception at the Thames Gateway Forum, the UK's foremost exhibition focussing on the Thames Gateway
	Reception at MIPIM, an international exhibition for real estate professionals and investors
	 FY2007
	Reception at the Thames Gateway Forum, the UK's foremost exhibition focusing on the Thames Gateway
	Christmas Stakeholder Reception

Departmental Aviation

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individual domestic air flights were undertaken within mainland Britain by representatives of  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in the most recent year for which figures are available; and at what cost.

Parmjit Dhanda: Figures supplied by the Department's travel booking service show representatives from the Department undertook 605 individual domestic air flights in 2007-08 financial year, at a cost of £66,813. This total includes figures for officials within Government offices.
	The Department's agencies report domestic flight details as follows for the last financial year;
	
		
			  Agency  Number of flights  Cost (£) 
			 Planning Inspectorate 101 66,813 
			 Queen Elizabeth 2nd Conference Centre 0 0 
			 Fire Service College 22 1,020.68 
			 Ordnance Survey 1,004 115,426 
		
	
	Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the "Ministerial Code" and the "Civil Service Management Code" respectively.

Departmental Expert Panels

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the members are of each of her Department's expert panels.

Parmjit Dhanda: In response to the Department's capability review, the Department set up three expert panels to provide analytical advice in the following policy areas: (i) housing markets and planning; (ii) neighbourhoods cities and regions; and (iii) housing and communities (social and affordable housing). Membership of the respective panels is shown in annex tables Al, A2 and A3 respectively.
	
		
			  Annex A1: Membership of the housing markets and planning analysis (HMPA) expert panel 
			  Panel  member   
			  Lead panel member :   
			 Professor Michael Ball Reading University  
			
			  Panel members:   
			 David Adams Glasgow University  
			 Peter Bibby Sheffield University  
			 Neil Blake(1) Experian Also on NCRA panel 
			 Glen Bramley Heriot Watt University  
			 Paul Cheshire(1) LSE Also on NCRA panel 
			 Christopher Cobbold DTZ  
			 Simin Davoudi Newcastle University  
			 Danny Dorling(1) Sheffield University Also on NCRA and HCA panel 
			 Alan Evans Reading University Also on NCRA panel 
			 Diana Kasparova Policy Studies Institute  
			 Dave King Anglia University  
			 Philip Leather Salford University  
			 Chris Leishman Glasgow University  
			 Alex Marsh(1) Bristol University Also on HCA panel 
			 Geoffrey Meen(1) Reading University  
			 John Muellbauer Oxford University  
			 Gwilym Pryce Glasgow University  
			 Yvonne Rydin UCL  
			 Christine Whitehead LSE  
			 Peter Williams(1) Independent Consultant Also on HCA panel 
			 Cecilia Wong Manchester University  
		
	
	
		
			  Annex A2: Membership of the Neighbourhoods, cities and regions (NCRA) expert panel 
			  Panel members   
			  Lead panel member:   
			 Michael Parkinson Liverpool John Moores University  
			  Panel members:   
			 Neil Blake(1) Experian Joint with HMPA 
			 Paul Cheshire(1) LSE Joint with HMPA 
			 Ian Cole(1) Sheffield Hallam University Joint with HCA 
			 Mike Coombes Newcastle University  
			 Danny Dorling(1) Sheffield University Joint all three panels 
			 Ian Gordon LSE  
			 Anne Green Warwick University  
			 Carol Hayden Shared Intelligence  
			 Adrian Healy ECOTEC  
			 Paul Lawless(1) Sheffield Hallam University Joint with HCA 
			 Geoff Meen(1) Reading University Joint with HMPA 
			 Henry Overman LSE  
			 Anne Power LSE  
			 Patricia Rice Oxford University  
			 Graham Russell Amion  
			 Ludi Simpson Manchester University  
			 Stephen Syrett Middlesex University  
			 Vince Taylor Vince Taylor Assoc  
			 Ivan Turok Glasgow University  
			 Peter Tyler(1) Cambridge University Joint with HCA 
		
	
	
		
			  Annex A3: Membership of the housing and communities (HCA) expert panel 
			  Panel members   
			  Lead panel member:   
			 Professor Mark Stephens York University  
			  Panel members:   
			 Jeff Austin Independent Consultant  
			 Shaun Bennett Civis Consultants  
			 Bob Blackaby Independent Consultant  
			 Tim Blackman Durham University  
			 Ian Cole(1) Sheffield Hallam University- Also on NCRA panel 
			 David Cowan Bristol University  
			 Danny Dorling(1) Sheffield University - Also on NCRA and HMPA panel 
			 Suzanne Fitzpatrick York University  
			 Kenneth Gibb Glasgow University  
			 David Hall Tribal Group  
			 Adrian Jones Independent Researcher  
			 Michael Jones Cambridge University  
			 Paul Lawless Sheffield Hallam University Also on NCRA panel 
			 Alex Marsh Bristol University Also on HMPA panel 
			 Sarah Monk Cambridge University  
			 David Mullins Birmingham University  
			 David Ormandy Warwick University  
			 Hal Pawson Heriot Watt University  
			 Rob Rowlands Birmingham University  
			 Rebecca Tunstall LSE  
			 Peter Tyler(1) Cambridge University - Also on NCRA panel 
			 Peter Williams(1) Independent Consultant- Also on HMPA panel 
			 (1) Denotes membership of more than one expert panel

Departmental Pay

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 537W, on departmental pay, who conducts the assessments of senior staff for bonuses.

Parmjit Dhanda: The process for performance assessment and differentiation for all senior civil servants is fully outlined in the SCS Performance Management Guidance 2008/09 produced by Cabinet Office and available through their website:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
	Under the SCS Performance Management Framework, managers may seek wider feedback from staff, peers and/or customers regarding an individual's leadership, performance management and capability building skills/behaviour. The manager and job-holder will then review individual performance against objectives, plus leadership behaviour demonstrated throughout the year. Proposed performance grouping and associated bonus recommendations are submitted to the Department's Senior Pay Committee for final moderation and ratification.
	The Communities and Local Government Senior Pay Committee comprises the Permanent Secretary (Chair), Directors General, a non-Executive Director and key departmental representatives.

Departmental Pay

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 537W, on departmental pay, how many bonuses were awarded to members of the home information pack team in 2007-08; and at what cost.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 27 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1594W.

Departmental Procurement

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 538W, on departmental procurement, if she will place in the Library a copy of the list of names and addresses of each organisation that supplied goods or services to her Department in 2007-08, from purchase order data held in the departmental financial system.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Deprivation Indicators

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 312W, on the index of deprivation, whether permission has been gained to publish the underlying indicators.

Parmjit Dhanda: Where permission was received the underlying indicators were published on the Department's website on 30 May 2008.

Homelessness: Voluntary Organisations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government have taken to work with voluntary organisations to reduce levels of homelessness.

Iain Wright: Tackling homelessness is a key priority for the Government. We hold regular meetings with voluntary organisations such as Homeless Link and Shelter to help us drive forward our homelessness agenda.
	We provide significant grant funding to voluntary organisations to tackle homelessness. In December 2007 we announced homelessness grant funding of at least £150 million over the next three years 2008-11 to continue to support local authorities and voluntary sector organisations to tackle and prevent homelessness in their area. This is the biggest ever cash injection for homelessness services.
	In addition, we have also allocated £51 million of homeless grant for the period 2008-11 directly to the voluntary sector and £79.6 million capital funding has been allocated for 2008-11 to local authorities who will work in partnership with voluntary organisations to build on the success of improving hostels and day centres.
	As part of our measures to further prevent and tackle youth homelessness we established the National Youth Homelessness Scheme (NYHS) jointly led by Centrepoint and YMCA England.

Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the annual funding to the National Housing Revenue Account necessary to ensure that improvements to housing stock condition are sustainable.

Iain Wright: This is work that is currently being taken forward in the context of our Review of Council Housing Finance. The review is due to report to Ministers in spring 2009, after which there will be a period of wider consultation on proposals.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government have taken to increase provision of affordable housing.

Iain Wright: On 14 May we announced three initiatives. The first is a £100 million expansion of the open market homebuy scheme, available for new build homes only. In 2008-09 this will enable 2,500 more first time buyers to purchase a new build home of their choice on the open market under our shared equity scheme.
	The second is that the Housing Corporation will be spending up to £200 million in 2008-09 on funding RSLs to purchase unsold new build stock from developers, either for social rent, or for sale to first time buyers through our homebuy low cost home ownership scheme.
	Finally, we have expanded the eligibility criteria so that all first time buyers with a household income under £60,000, who could not otherwise afford to buy, will be eligible for all our homebuy products.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the research commissioned by her Department on the Evaluation of Social Homebuy Scheme for Affordable Housing (reference RAE 3/6/135); and what the cost was of the research.

Caroline Flint: The report was published on 12 June 2008 in electronic format only at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/social homebuyevaluation
	The total cost of the research was £160,877.40. This comprised a contract for £157,734.25 with the University of Birmingham to conduct the research and £3,143.12 typesetting and publication preparation costs.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from her Department plan to attend the Beijing Olympic Games; to what purpose in each case; and what estimate she has made of the cost.

Parmjit Dhanda: No Ministers or officials from the Department are planning to attend the Beijing Olympic Games.

Squatters

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2008,  Official Report, column 980W, on squatters, when her Department or its predecessors last issued guidance to  (a) the police and  (b) local authorities on managing squatting.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government has not issued any guidance to the police and/or local authorities on the specific issue of managing squatters, in this period.

Thames Gateway

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date in June 2008 she plans to publish an annual report on the Thames Gateway in June 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We are currently working with our partners to develop an annual report for the Thames Gateway, which we expect to be able to publish in the next few weeks.

Thames Gateway: Finance

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of Thames Gateway funding for Castle Point was allocated to  (a) Canvey Island and  (b) other areas of Castle Point constituency in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 824-26W.
	All the Thames Gateway funding for Castle Point projects to date has been allocated to Canvey Island in each of the last five years.

Travelling People: Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support or funding Planning Aid has given to Traveller groups on  (a) planning applications,  (b) planning appeals and (c) High Court challenges.

Iain Wright: Planning Aid offers support to Traveller groups on planning applications and appeals both through its casework and community planning activities. Planning Aid would normally refer cases involving a High Court challenge to organisations that specialise in supporting this process.
	Planning Aid does not provide direct funding for Traveller groups, nor would it support their legal costs.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burma: Overseas Aid

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received on the additional guidelines for seeking travel permission and aid distribution clearance put in place by the Burmese authorities on 9 June; and what representations his Department has made to the Burmese authorities on this matter.

Douglas Alexander: On 9 June the Ministry of Planning issued a new set of "Guiding Principles" to be followed by the UN, INGOs and NGOs in carrying out cyclone relief. The new guidance stated that all visas and permissions for internal travel and for the import and distribution of relief supplies were to be obtained through relevant line ministries, rather than centrally through the Ministry of Social Welfare. On 20 June the Government of Burma retracted the "Guiding Principles" and reverted to the previous system where all visas are processed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all travel permits by the Ministry of Social Welfare. We hope that this will be a positive move in facilitating access.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps the Government has taken to widen accessibility to treatment for people with AIDS in developing countries.

Gillian Merron: On 2 June the UK Government launched their updated AIDS strategy "Achieving Universal Access—the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world". The strategy sets out the UK's response to tackling HIV and AIDS in developing countries to 2015, including access to treatment. Working with others, the UK will work to reduce drug prices and increase access to more affordable and sustainable treatment over the long-term. This could yield cost efficiency savings of at least £50 million per annum, enough to fund medicines for an additional one million people every year.
	The UK Government launched the Medical Transparency Alliance (MeTA) in May. By disclosing information on the price, quality and availability of medicines, MeTA will help to increase public accountability and improve access to medicines, including HIV treatment. The UK will also continue to support UNITAID, the international drugs purchase facility, to reduce the cost of HIV treatment.
	Starting in 2008, the Department for International Development will support a new regional programme on Access to Medicines in Southern Africa. The programme will spend £10 million over the first three years to deliver more affordable, quality medicines and diagnostics, including for HIV and AIDS.
	A copy of the updated strategy and supporting evidence paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. These are also available on the Department for International Development (DFID) website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk.

Peacekeeping Operations: Misconduct

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with UN officials on allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse of children by peacekeepers; what measures have been proposed to prevent such abuse; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK takes all allegations of misconduct by UN and other peacekeepers extremely seriously and we believe strongly that UN personnel must uphold the highest standards of behaviour. The vast majority of UN peacekeepers uphold those standards while doing important work in difficult and dangerous circumstances.
	The UN is responsible for tackling allegations of misconduct directly with troop contributing countries. We will continue to work closely with the UN's Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other partners to ensure that its 'zero tolerance' policy towards incidents of abuse is implemented in full.
	We are providing support to the UN's efforts to assess, prioritise and respond to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children by UN peacekeepers and aid workers. This includes taking concrete measures to address both the military and civilian branches of peacekeeping support operations. One such measure, the UN's Conduct and Discipline Units, is funded by the UK's Conflict Prevention Pool. These teams work to ensure that all peacekeeping personnel undergo training on UN standards of conduct relating to sexual exploitation and abuse, and that all allegations of wrongdoing are reported upon and followed up with appropriate action. In the UN Mission in Liberia, for example, the number of cases reported to the UN was reduced by half from 2006 to 2007.
	We have been successful in working with the UN to instigate policy changes aimed at preventing and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse. These include: a Victim's Assistance Strategy to provide assistance to survivors of sexual violence perpetrated by UN personnel; a more robust Model Memorandum of Understanding between the UN and Troop Contributing Countries; an upgraded Welfare and Recreation Strategy for peacekeeping and related personnel; and a resolution on 'Criminal accountability of UN officials and experts on mission'.
	The UK supports efforts to protect the world's most vulnerable children from sexual abuse. To further strengthen the UN's approach, the UK supported the UN Secretary-General's recent recommendation to include, where appropriate, child protection advisers within the mandates of peacekeeping missions. As an active member of the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, we will continue to work to improve the effectiveness of existing UN monitoring, reporting and disciplinary mechanisms.
	Through its Conflict Prevention programme, the UK also helps to train military personnel for peacekeeping operations. Good conduct and respect for human rights is an integral part of all training courses. The UK will continue to provide training on peace support operations for troops from other countries, which covers conduct and discipline, particularly the importance of protecting civilians in accordance with international law.

PRIME MINISTER

Devolution: Northern Ireland

Owen Paterson: To ask the Prime Minister what subjects were discussed during his talks with the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin at the time of the establishment of the new Northern Ireland Executive; what the outcome was of such discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 918-19W.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Prime Minister what response he made to President Bush's public request for the presence of UK armed forces in Iraq to be maintained; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the press conference I held with President Bush on 16 June 2008. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page15783.asp
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Joint Intelligence Committee: Honours

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister how many members of staff of the Joint Intelligence Committee have received honours in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The Joint Intelligence Committee is supported by a Secretariat based in the Cabinet Office. The Honours Lists are published in The London Gazette on the occasion of the Queen's birthday in June and at new year. The lists sets out which Department civil servants are from.

Northern Ireland Executive: Finance

Owen Paterson: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to make any changes to financial arrangements relating to the Northern Ireland Executive following recent talks between the Government, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave at my monthly press conference on 12 June 2008. A transcript is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page15739.asp
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Swimming

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what procedure local authorities will be able to access Government funding for free swimming programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney).

Swimming

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what effect he expects his proposal to introduce free swimming to have on quality of life in areas of high deprivation.

Andy Burnham: There are some unique health benefits to swimming, particularly so for the over 60s. Swimming is also the most popular physical recreation for adults, and a key means of increasing the amount of exercise people take. But we know that cost can be a barrier to participation for some, and that this can be exacerbated in areas of high deprivation.

Swimming

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the process is for local authorities to apply for central Government funding for the provision of free swimming.

Andy Burnham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney).

Television Services: Sight-impaired People

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to ensure that digital switchover will not adversely affect blind and partially-sighted people.

Margaret Hodge: Blind or partially sighted people are eligible for the Digital Switchover Help Scheme which provides help with equipment, installation and after-care support.
	Audio Description (AD), an additional narration on TV programmes that describes on-screen action, is accessible through the equipment provided by the scheme.
	The Government, Digital UK and the help scheme, continue to consult the RNIB about how best to help people with visual impairments through the switchover process.

Community Regeneration

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with Sport England on its contribution to community regeneration; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have had no recent discussions with Sport England on this subject.
	Sport England has recently developed a new strategy focused on a world leading community sports system. This will sustain and increase participation in grassroots sport among all groups and allow everyone to develop their sporting talent to the full.
	Sport is a key player in a number of areas of community social regeneration. Sports projects can have a significant impact by breaking down barriers and providing positive opportunities for people to mix with others. Sport can also help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour; and increase peoples' levels of trust and community involvement.

Lottery Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he next expects to meet the chief executives of the lottery funds to discuss administrative costs.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have no plans to do so. We encourage lottery distributors to keep their administrative costs as low as possible and they are committed to this.

Listed Sporting Events

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to begin the review of the listed sporting events regime.

Andy Burnham: Any decision on the commencement of a review of listed events will be made following the outcome of Ofcom's current review of Public Service Broadcasting and the findings of the Government's Convergence Think Tank.

Young People: Empowerment

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how his Department plans to deliver the Government's pledge to empower young people through sport.

Andy Burnham: The DCMS and DCSF have joint responsibility to deliver the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People and to date over £2.2 billion has been committed through the strategy up to 2011.
	Government will continue to work through our delivery partners to engage and empower more young people in sport. Sport England, under their new strategy, will work in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust to develop more opportunities for young people to participate in high quality coaching and competition and gain greater access to the club system.

Binge Drinking

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the measures in the Licensing Act 2003 in combating binge drinking.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The evaluation of the Licensing Act 2003 was published on 4 March this year. Our main conclusion was that businesses and consumers have been using the freedoms provided but that more could be done to rebalance action towards enforcement and crack down on irresponsible behaviour. There are, however, limits to the impact licensing law can have on the personal behaviour in terms of consumption. We have therefore announced, in the Youth Alcohol Action Plan, measures which are designed to tackle binge drinking among young people. The Government also expect to consider further action when the ongoing Alcohol Price, Promotion and Harm review reports this summer.

Arts: Publicity

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press officers and public affairs employees were employed by  (a) the Big Lottery Fund,  (b) the Arts Council,  (c) the Heritage Lottery Fund,  (d) Sport England,  (e) UK Sport and  (f) the UK Film Council in each of the last three years; and at what cost.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 20 May 2008
	Figures for the number of press officers and public affairs employees in each of the last three years, and their cost, as provided by the bodies in question, are set out in the following table. Some of these bodies cover the whole of the United Kingdom and others cover only England. The figures represent the total number of individuals employed during each financial year, not the number of full-time equivalents. Many of these individuals spent only a small proportion of their time on press and/or public affairs work, and some were only in post for part of a financial year.
	
		
			   2007-08  2006-07  2005-06 
			   Number  Cost (£)  Number  Cost (£)  Number  Cost (£) 
			 Big Lottery Fund 18 606,009 15 538,473 15 509,350 
			 Arts Council England 8 172,484 9 157,002 9 253,050 
			 Heritage Lottery Fund 6 240,193 6 222,820 5 211,472 
			 Sport England 4 164,819 7 183,924 5 239,101 
			 UK Sport 5 168,798 4 152,271 4 119,528 
			 UK Film Council 2 75,136 2 69,404 2 82,009

Culture: Education

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on the selection of the Find Your Talent pilot areas.

Margaret Hodge: On 29 May 2008 we announced the 10 selected Find Your Talent pilots that will trial ways of offering children and young people a range of high quality cultural experiences for five hours a week, both in and out of school.
	The organisations leading these pilots are:
	Bolton borough council;
	The Creative Foundation (serving Shepway District and including Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh);
	Customs House (North and South Tyneside);
	Hampshire county council;
	Leeds Children's Services;
	Leicestershire county council;
	Liverpool City Region1 Partnership (serving three Merseyside neighbourhoods);
	North Somerset;
	Telford and Wrekin council; and
	Tower Hamlets.
	The pilots will begin their work in September 2008.

Departmental Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS regularly invites external sectoral experts to contribute to policy evaluation and reviews, but there have been no formal retrospective independent inquiries into decisions, or courses of actions, commissioned by DCMS during the last five years.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department and its agency spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agency, The Royal Parks, spent a combined total of £39,922 on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Departmental Translation Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in 2007-08, broken down by language.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The cost of translation and interpretation services in 2007-08 broken down by language were as follows:
	
		
			  Language  Cost (£) 
			  Translation Services  
			 Welsh 18,660.75 
			   
			  Interpretation Services  
			 British Sign Language Interpreter 350

Football: Sports Grounds

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations his Department has received on the campaign for safe standing areas in top-flight football grounds in England in the last 12 months; what plans he has to meet with football clubs and supporters groups to discuss this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer  20 June 2008
	I have received a number of representations on the campaign for safe standing areas. I have discussed this matter with the Football Association, local authorities, the police and the Home Office. The consensus among all parties is that there is no wish to re-introduce any standing areas at grounds in the top two divisions.
	No new evidence has been presented to suggest that there is a single more effective way of achieving safety as well as public order than all seater stadia. The Government therefore remain fully committed to the current policy.

Strip Clubs

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Home Department on the regulation of lap dancing clubs.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have had a number of meetings and telephone conversations with my hon. Friend, the Minister for Crime Reduction, about concerns relating to the regulation of lap dancing and similar establishments. He has agreed to consider, along with relevant ministerial colleagues, whether we need to do more to support local communities in controlling these establishments. As a first step, I have recently written to chief executives of local authorities to clarify the powers available under the Licensing Act and to seek their views on whether these, and other controls, are sufficient to respond to the concerns of local people. I am arranging for a copy of my letter to be deposited in the Library of the House.

Tourism

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the global economic climate on tourism to the UK; what steps he plans to take to address those effects; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: It is too early to say if the current economic climate is affecting tourism to the UK. But indications for both inbound and domestic tourism remain positive for 2008.
	The latest inbound tourism figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the number of visitors to the UK for the three months to April 2008 was, at 8.4 million, broadly the same as in 2007, and 5 per cent. up on the previous three months.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Crimes of Violence: Sexual Offences

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of serious sexual assault in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The following table outlines the number of prosecutions and convictions for serious sexual assaults by type of offence for the calendar years 2002 to 2006 (the latest available years).
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Prosecutions and Convictions for serious sexual assault offences by type of offence 2004 to 2006 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  Offence  Prosecutions  Convictions  Prosecutions  Convictions  Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 Rape 29 15 21 4 32 11 
			 Attempted rape 8 3 9 4 5 0 
			 Gross indecency with child 5 3 10 6 6 5 
			 Buggery with male person, 16 years or over without consent 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Buggery with boy under 16 years of age 11 6 3 1 7 3 
			 Buggery with a woman 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Buggery with a girl 3 1 2 0 1 0 
			 Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14 years 4 4 4 3 3 3 
			 Unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 17 years 3 2 4 4 6 5 
			 Incest by man on female 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Forcibly abducting a female with intent to carnally know her 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Indecent assault on female 89 57 85 51 109 73 
			 Indecent assault on male 20 17 16 11 14 8 
			 Indecent assault on female child 8 3 20 18 5 2 
			 Indecent assault on male child 6 4 8 5 1 0 
			 Indecent exposure with intent to assault a female 3 2 5 2 9 6 
			
			 Total 191 118 189 110 199 117

Domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what records his Department holds on the size of the average domestic rate bill in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: This matter is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Domestic Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of domestic violence were reported to the police in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years, broken down by  (a) police command unit and  (b) council area.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer:
	The following table details how many cases of domestic violence have been reported to the police in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. The figures are broken down by police command unit, which map onto district council areas, with the exception of Belfast. The four command units for Belfast when combined reflect the council area. Protection of the public from violent and sexual offenders remains a top priority for government. The launch of the new five-year regional strategy to tackle sexual violence and abuse in Northern Ireland is aimed at reducing the unacceptably high level of these kinds of offences.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Antrim 706 595 688 
			 Ards 843 1,012 858 
			 Armagh 482 497 534 
			 Ballymena 584 516 600 
			 Ballymoney 272 232 286 
			 Banbridge 431 406 433 
			 Carrickfergus 480 419 460 
			 Castlereagh 432 493 485 
			 Coleraine 1,072 1,183 998 
			 Cookstown 503 386 367 
			 Craigavon 1,403 1,460 1,283 
			 Down 670 792 674 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 406 476 355 
			 East Belfast 1,336 1,513 1,376 
			 Fermanagh 609 557 592 
			 Foyle 1,691 1,561 1,742 
			 Larne 313 272 329 
			 Limavady 460 564 551 
			 Lisburn 1,551 1,819 1,539 
			 Magherafelt 345 342 323 
			 Moyle 128 145 139 
			 Newry and Mourne 960 954 832 
			 Newtownabbey 973 941 963 
			 North Belfast 2,157 2,231 2,199 
			 North Down 919 867 862 
			 Omagh 723 789 728 
			 South Belfast 999 886 968 
			 Strabane 498 479 484 
			 West Belfast 1,113 1,069 1,428 
			 Northern Ireland 23,059 23,456 23,076

Offensive Weapons: Schools

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils in Northern Ireland were found to be in illegal possession of  (a) a weapon and  (b) drugs on school premises in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer:
	The number of pupils in Northern Ireland who have been found to be in illegal possession of a weapon on school premises in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 5 
			 2006-07 9 
			 2007-08 6 
		
	
	These figures are based on the following offences -possessing article with blade or point and possession of offensive weapon on school premises.
	The number of pupils who have been found to be in illegal possession of drugs on school premises in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005-06 5 
			 2006-07 3 
			 2007-08 1 
		
	
	The number of arrests for possession of drugs on school premises includes the offence of intent to supply.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Recruitment

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were recruited to the Police Service of Northern Ireland from each Neighbourhood Renewal area in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following information:
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  
			 Campaign number C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 Total 
			 Belfast 2 4 4 1 4 3 2 5 3 28 
			 Londonderry 2 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 9 
			 Other 4 8 4 3 5 8 2 3 3 40 
			  Notes: 1. Belfast includes: Andersonstown, Crumlin/Ardoyne, Falls/Clonard, Greater Shankill, Inner North Belfast, Outer West Belfast, Rathcoole, South West Belfast, Upper Ardoyne/Ballysillan, Upper Springfield/Whiterock. 2. Londonderry includes: Outer West Derry and Waterside. 3. Other includes: Bangor, Brownlow, Coleraine Churchlands, Coleraine East, Colin, Downpatrick, Enniskillen, Limavady, Lurgan, Newry, Portadown North West. 
		
	
	There were no recruits from the following Neighbourhood Renewal Areas: Armagh, Ballyclare, Ballymena, Coalisland, Dungannon, Inner East Belfast, Inner South Belfast, Ligoniel, Omagh, Strabane, Tullycarnet, Triax City Side.
	This analysis is based on postcode information provided at time of application (correspondence address). Not all applicants provide a valid postcode.
	The PSNI tasks its recruitment agent to advertise extensively across Northern Ireland to reach all sections of the community and remains committed to a police service that represents all communities in Northern Ireland.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Recruitment

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of  (a) mentoring or shadowing programmes and  (b) pilot police cadet schemes as methods of increasing recruitment of young people from a Protestant background in inner city areas of Northern Ireland into the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has advised that the Police Service organises work experience schemes to promote an understanding of careers in policing. These schemes are not reviewed in order to specifically identify whether they are effective in attracting young people from a Protestant background in inner city areas of Northern Ireland.
	There is no pilot police cadet scheme.
	The PSNI tasks its recruitment agent to advertise extensively across Northern Ireland to reach all sections of the community and remains committed to a police service that represents all communities in Northern Ireland.

Racial Hatred

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were the victim of racially-motivated attacks in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years, broken down by  (a) police command unit and  (b) council district.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer:
	The following table details the number of people who have been the victim of racially-motivated attacks in each of the last three years. The figures are broken down by police command unit, which map onto district council areas, with the exception of Belfast. The four command units for Belfast when combined reflect the council area.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Antrim 37 66 50 
			 Ards 28 31 18 
			 Armagh 20 14 15 
			 Ballymena 53 41 63 
			 Ballymoney 7 6 1 
			 Banbridge 4 10 4 
			 Carrickfergus 6 18 18 
			 Castlereagh 21 23 33 
			 Coleraine 37 26 17 
			 Cookstown 21 17 11 
			 Craigavon 78 71 81 
			 Down 13 17 8 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 102 58 38 
			 East Belfast 74 79 81 
			 Fermanagh 29 33 31 
			 Foyle 27 19 15 
			 Larne 2 8 3 
			 Limavady 7 9 8 
			 Lisburn 43 58 37 
			 Magherafelt 17 22 16 
			 Moyle 7 2 4 
			 Newry and Mourne 35 42 24 
			 Newtownabbey 52 78 84 
			 North Belfast 62 82 98 
			 North Down 20 47 35 
			 Omagh 13 23 12 
			 South Belfast 106 126 149 
			 Strabane 2 3 2 
			 West Belfast 13 18 20 
			 Northern Ireland 936 1,047 976

Sheridan Group

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 1387-8W, on the Sheridan Group, when his Department referred the matter to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI); when the PSNI responded; and if he will make public the response he received from the Chief Constable detailing the actions taken by the PSNI to investigate allegations of criminal activity by the Sheridan Group.

Paul Goggins: Following the allegations, the NIO contacted the PSNI on a number of occasions about the matter. These contacts were at the highest level in both organisations.
	The Chief Constable subsequently advised that the PSNI had no evidence to suggest the Sheridan Group had been engaged in criminal activity. The action taken by the PSNI to investigate the allegations is a matter for the Chief Constable.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long British troops have been operating in Zabul Province; how many troops are based there; what their mission is; and what assessment he has made of the security situation in the province.

Des Browne: British troops of the Third Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, plus support elements, totalling up to around 400 personnel, deployed to Zabul Province on 3 June 2008. The troops form the Regional Battlegroup (South), whose mission is to undertake mobile operations against known Taliban areas of activity across the southern region, without being tied to a particular geographical area.
	The security situation in Zabul province is generally similar to other areas of the southern region of Afghanistan, in that ISAF forces continue to make progress in disrupting Taliban activity and thereby enabling reconstruction and development activity.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fatalities of ISAF members there have been over the last five years.

Des Browne: The UK armed forces have suffered 106 fatalities in Afghanistan since 2001. We do not comment on the casualties suffered by other nations, which are matters for the countries concerned.

Aircraft Carriers

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of high-tech contracts arising from the construction of the two new aircraft carriers will be competitively tendered.

Bob Ainsworth: The Aircraft Carrier Alliance estimates that over 60 per cent. of procurement subcontracts (by value) will be competitively tendered.

Armed Forces

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support is provided to the families of British service personnel killed in action.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 February 2007,  Official  R eport, column 1145W, to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr Wallace).

Armed Forces: Officers

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of  (a) 1 star,  (b) 2 star,  (c) 3 star and  (d) 4 star officers in the armed forces were serving abroad at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: Figures for the stationed location of UK regular forces are available in Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 10: "UK Regular Forces stationed location".
	Information by rank of those who are serving abroad is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Officers

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) 1 star,  (b) 2 star,  (c) 3 star and  (d) 4 star officers in the armed forces occupy service accommodation as their main place of residence.

Derek Twigg: Information on whether service accommodation is the main residence of the officers concerned is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Officers

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) 1 star,  (b) 2 star,  (c) 3 star and  (d) 4 star officers there were in each of the services in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on the strength of the UK regular forces by rank is published in table 2 of Tri-Service Publication 9, "UK Regular Forces Rank Structure" (TSP 9). Copies of the most recent and historical publications can be found at:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	In TSP 9, 4 star officers are referred to as OF-9, 3 star officers as OF-8, 2 star officers as OF-7 and 1 star officers as OF-6. 1997 data are not available on our website and are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  UK regular strength of 1 to 4 star officers, at 1 April 1997 
			   1 star  2 star  3 star  4 star 
			 Naval Service 82 30 9 4 
			 Army 170 43 10 6 
			 RAF 95 34 8 5 
			  Notes:  1. Figures less than 100 have been left unrounded so as not to obscure the data.  2. Those above 100 have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Armed Forces: Pay

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the income of a private soldier who had completed basic training was as a proportion of that of a  (a) 1 star,  (b) 2 star,  (c) 3 star and  (d) 4 star officer in each year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The basic pay of a trained private soldier, expressed as proportion of that of a  (a) 1 star,  (b) 2 star,  (c) 3 star and  (d) 4 star officer in each year since 1997 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Privates annual pay expressed as a percentage of annual pay of a: 
			   1 star officer  2 star officer  3 star officer  4 star officer 
			 1997 16.34 15.09 13.34 9.88 
			 1998 16.42 15.43 13.54 10.10 
			 1999 16.47 15.60 13.69 10.21 
			 2000 16.67 15.78 13.84 10.33 
			 2001 16.98 15.36 13.76 10.33 
			 2002 17.06 15.10 12.93 10.50 
			 2003 17.15 15.36 13.16 10.69 
			 2004 17.21 15.37 13.17 10.69 
			 2005 17.21 15.37 13.04 10.24 
			 2006 17.26 15.42 13.07 9.95 
			 2007 18.27 16.55 14.03 10.36 
			 2008 17.54 16.52 14.04 10.49 
		
	
	The minimum rate of pay has been used for each rank. The figures reflect basic pay only, i.e. those rates paid in accordance with an individual's rank, trade and seniority. Other elements of the military remuneration package, such as specialist pay and allowances, are not included.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1209W, on the armed forces: vehicles, for what reasons and when the restrictions on speed and distance in relation to dual purpose vehicles referred to in the answer were brought in; when they were brought in; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 19 June 2008
	Speeds and distance regulations for dual purpose vehicles (DPVs) were introduced in January 2005. They were brought in to mitigate some of the risks of using standard seating systems, established following a risk review.
	Enhanced seating systems are being progressively phased in through the DPV fleet, a programme which began in May 2007, to improve comfort and safety. In September 2007 the speed and distance restrictions for enhanced seating systems were introduced.

Army: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current average individual separated service rate is for each unit in the  (a) infantry,  (b) Royal Corps of Signals,  (c) Royal Logistics Corps,  (d) Royal Engineers and  (e) Royal Artillery.

Derek Twigg: This information is not currently held and to produce this would incur disproportionate cost.

Defence Medical Services: Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the efficiency savings required by his Department from Defence Medical Services were in 2007-08; and what the planned savings targets are for 2008-09.

Derek Twigg: Under the spending review 2004 efficiency programme, the MOD was required to achieve £2.83 billion of cumulative input and output efficiency savings by the end of 2007-08. Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Health) Higher Level Budget (DCDS(H) HLB) delivered £102 million of this target in output efficiencies. This was achieved primarily in the patient care pathways through the Defence Rehabilitation Programme. By improving access to diagnosis, rehabilitation and orthopaedic surgery the MOD saved an estimated 1.27 million deployable man-days in 2007-08 that would otherwise have been lost while individuals waited for treatment.
	As part of the 2007 financial planning round, further efficiency savings targets of £3.7 million for 2007-08 and £1.4 million for 2008-09 were agreed with the DCDS(H) HLB.

Defence: Expenditure

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned change in defence spending is in each of the next three financial years.

Des Browne: The Defence Budget for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 is set out in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review and pre-Budget-report (CM 7227). The Budget for 2011-12 and beyond will be set as part of the next spending review.

Departmental Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each.

Bob Ainsworth: In the last five years, the Ministry of Defence has commissioned the following independent inquiries and reviews:
	 The Baha Mousa Inquiry
	We announced on 14 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 60-61WS, an independent inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa, who died in British custody in Iraq in September 2003. The terms of reference are being determined.
	 The Review of the loss of MOD laptops
	On 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1255, we announced an independent review of the loss of MOD data. The terms of reference are:
	To establish the exact circumstances and events that led to the loss by MOD of personal data; to examine the adequacy of the steps taken to prevent any recurrence, and of MOD policy, practice and management arrangements in respect of the protection of personal data more generally; to make recommendations; and to report to MOD's Permanent Secretary not later than 30 April 2008.
	The review is complete and a ministerial announcement will be made soon. The costs of this review were £44,961.
	 The Nimrod Review
	On 4 December 2007,  Official Report, column 685, we announced an independent review into the loss of RAF Nimrod XV230 in Afghanistan on 2 September 2006. The terms of reference are:
	In light of the board of inquiry report: to examine the arrangements for assuring the airworthiness and safe operation of the Nimrod MR2 in the period from its introduction in 1979 to the accident on 2 September 2006, including hazard analysis, the safety case compiled in 2005, maintenance arrangements, and responses to any earlier incidents which might have highlighted the risk and led to corrective action;
	To assess where responsibility lies for any failures and what lessons are to be learned;
	To assess more broadly the process for compiling safety cases, taking account of best practice in the civilian and military world; and
	To make recommendations to the Secretary of State as soon as practicable, if necessary by way of interim report.
	This review is still under way.
	 The Iran  H ostage Reviews
	On 16 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 23-26, we announced two reviews of Iran's illegal detention of 15 service personnel.
	The first was on operational aspects of the incident including risk and threat assessment, strategic and operational planning, tactical decisions, rules of engagement, training, equipment and resources. The HCDC has been fully briefed on recommendations, and on progress in relation to the full implementation of the resulting action plan. The costs of this review were not collated centrally but were restricted to travel costs.
	The terms of reference of the second were:
	"To conduct a review of media access to individual personnel involved in operations, particularly in such high-profile incidents. The review is to draw on all relevant experience, including recent incidents and other high-profile incidents; consider how best to manage the complex issues at play, including in balancing our responsibilities to support our people and their families, to safeguard the security of our people and operations, to protect the reputation of the services, and to meet the requirements of transparency in a demanding media environment; and identify lessons and make recommendations for any necessary changes in policy, regulations, processes and practice, including in relation to media payments to our personnel."
	Where costs have been provided they do not include the staff costs of MOD personnel seconded to the review team.
	The Government's response, accepting all the review's recommendations, was announced on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1255. The costs of this review were £7,200.
	 The Deepcut Review
	On 30 November 2004,  Official Report, column 500, we announced an independent review into the deaths of four soldiers at Deepcut barracks between 1995 and 2002. The terms of reference were:
	Urgently to review the circumstances surrounding the deaths of four soldiers at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut between 1995 and 2002 in light of available material and any representations that might be made in this regard, and to produce a report.
	The total cost of the review was £866,980. The Government's response was announced on 13 June 2006,  Official Report, column 637W. Since then, Dr. Susan Atkins has been appointed as the first Service Complaints Commissioner, and a new service complaints process came into effect on 1 January 2008.

Departmental Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on his Department's civil servant bonuses was in 2007-08, broken down by level of bonus.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 680W, and 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 517W, to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond).

Ex-servicemen: Mentally Ill

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans are in place to ensure that those armed forces veterans who have developed mental health conditions receive sufficient support.

Derek Twigg: The MOD is working with the four UK Health Departments in piloting a new expert mental health care service for veterans in the UK. The pilots will run for two years and, following independent evaluation, the intention is to roll the model out nationwide. Veterans with mental health problems, in particular those from areas not yet involved in the pilots, may attend our Medical Assessment Programme based at St. Thomas' hospital, London if they have served on operations since 1982; this offers an expert mental health assessment from a psychiatrist who has an extensive background of service in the armed forces. Veterans will also benefit from the decision last November to extend priority treatment to all veterans in Great Britain whose condition is considered by their GP to be due to service.
	The MOD funds war pensioners undergoing "remedial treatment" at Ex Service Mental Welfare Society ("Combat Stress") homes. MOD gave Combat Stress £2.5 million in fees in 2006-07 and agreed in October to a phased increase in the fees, rising to 45 per cent. from 1 January 2008, to enable them to enhance their capability to treat veterans.

Fuels

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 180W, on fuels, in what ways his Department has worked in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive to maintain security and safety at the Redcliffe Bay oil storage depot site.

Bob Ainsworth: Responsibility for site security at the Redcliffe Bay oil storage depot rests with the Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) on behalf of the MOD. In discharging this responsibility the OPA works closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on matters relating to site safety including regular top level management meetings and programmed HSE site visits.

HMS Victory

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the state of preservation of HMS Victory, with particular reference to  (a) rot and  (b) distortion of timbers.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 18 June 2008
	The MOD is committed to maintaining HMS Victory in a sound material state for the nation for generations to come. To achieve this, a planned maintenance regime is in place that includes regular whole ship surveys.
	In the late 1990s a new technique was adopted to ascertain the extent of rot in the ship's timbers and in particular the ship's hull planking. A survey in 2002 identified an increase in the rot in the hull planking; it also enabled the Department to predict the rate of decay. Subsequent surveys have confirmed these findings.
	As a result of the 2002 survey, we started work to secure legal and sustainable hull planks to replace the rotten ones. Sufficient material has now been obtained and work on the hull is scheduled to start towards the end of 2008.
	A system for monitoring the movement and form of HMS Victory has been in place since the 1970s, with an improved system being installed in 2005 that allows accurate measurements to be taken on a monthly basis. The movement of the ship is well understood and there is no evidence of any movement of the ship as a result of the degradation of the hull planking.

HMS Victory

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding has been made available for the preservation of HMS Victory; and what programme of work  (a) has been carried out and  (b) remains to be completed.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 18 June 2008
	Since HMS Victory's restoration was completed for Trafalgar 200 in 2005, returning the ship to its 1805 Battle of Trafalgar condition, only essential repair work has been carried out. Since then, MOD has undertaken detailed research to develop a full understanding of the structural condition of the ship and its construction. This has enabled the Department to select the correct materials for future repairs and to fully understand where and how repairs are to be carried out.
	The most significant task to be completed is the replacement of much of the hull planking. In addition, a structure in the After Hold that was removed many years ago, before restoration commenced, is to be reinstated to improve the structural integrity of the ship.
	The work is expected to take several years due to the complex nature of the task, but will enable its condition to be assured for several generations.
	Sufficient funding is already in place for the most critical packages of work; additional funding will be sought as necessary in accordance with normal MOD processes.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department makes arrangements to provide protection for Iraqi people working for the British Army and for their families.

Des Browne: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson) on 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 102W.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1716W.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of  (a) 1 star,  (b) 2 star,  (c) 3 star and  (d) 4 star officers in the armed forces were deployed to (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: Deployment figures are available centrally by location and by service.
	The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any  (a) replacement lifting gear and  (b) temporary alternative arrangements were considered for those Chinook helicopters in theatre which had their winches removed.

Des Browne: I will write to the hon. Member
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Ann Winterton:
	My Rt hon. Friend the Defence Secretary undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 19 February 2008, (Official Report, column 569W) about replacement and alternative winches for Chinook helicopters. I am sorry that it has taken so long to respond.
	Researching the answer to this question has required an examination of detailed Supply Chain records to provide information on the question of the availability of specific items of lifting gear within theatre. Regrettably, this work took longer than expected.
	I have taken your question to arise from the incident in Kajaki, Afghanistan in September 2006 during which Corporal (Cpl) Mark Wright GC was killed. This incident was the subject of an internal Board of Inquiry (BOI), the results of which were given to the next of kin of those involved. The BOI found: that a number of British soldiers entered an unmarked minefield; that multiple mine detonations over a short period of time followed; and, that the injured were eventually extracted by a US helicopter. The BOI also found that the arrival of this helicopter was delayed by mechanical problems, and although a British Chinook helicopter arrived at the scene earlier it did not attempt to extract the soldiers, in part, because it was not fitted with a winch—all such items having been withdrawn from the Chinook force some months earlier.
	The BOI concluded that no winches were available for the Chinook but the more recent Supply Chain investigation found that not all winches were affected by the maintenance issue that resulted in those fitted to Chinooks in Afghanistan being withdrawn back to the UK. In fact, a small number were available to the Chinook force at around the time of the Kajaki incident.
	On first inspection it seems odd that winches could have been available to the Chinook force but not deployed forward immediately to replace the winches which were recalled. This seems particularly odd in the light of the media reporting that had the Chinook which was called to assist in the incident had a winch, it would have been able to rescue those trapped in the minefield.
	The reason that the replacement winches were not deployed forward immediately can be explained by the fact that, in September 2006, there was no formal requirement for UK Chinooks in Afghanistan to be fitted with winches. Chinooks have "role equipment" which can be taken off or put on the airframe as and when it is considered necessary by the military chain of command. The aircraft that went to Afghanistan did have winches already fitted when they deployed but without a formal requirement for them, once the winches had been removed there was no immediate pressure to replace them, and there were no requests from the military chain of command in Theatre for the winches to be replaced.
	This can be further explained by the fact that using helicopters to extract personnel from minefields is widely recognised as being an extremely hazardous undertaking, only to be used in exceptional circumstances; our preferred approach to minefield extraction is either through the use of Explosive Ordnance Disposal assets or through self-extraction using techniques in which all deployed personnel are trained. Given this, it is understandable that no Standard Operating Procedures existed in theatre at the time governing the use of Chinook helicopters in extracting injured personnel from minefields, and that Chinook crews are not routinely trained in winch operations in such circumstances. Indeed, the Chinook crew involved in the incident has confirmed that, even if a winch had been fitted to their Chinook they did not consider it safe, either for those on the ground or in the aircraft, to attempt a winch extraction.
	It is worth pointing out however that even though the UK Chinook fleet at the time did not have a formal requirement for winches there was a winch capability available to UK forces in Theatre. Coalition helicopter assets were pooled and winch capability was available from US assets—through both a US Combat Search and Rescue capability with a HH-60G helicopter, and a US Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) Team, also with a HH-60G. And it was the US Combat Search and Rescue capability which successfully extracted Cpl Wright. That it did so successfully was testament to the ability and courage of the crew who the Board of Inquiry found "acted with complete disregard for their own safety." In fact, this was such an exceptionally brave manoeuvre that their actions were recognised by Her Majesty with a Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the Air.
	Thus there was an available winch capability in theatre but not through a formal requirement placed upon UK helicopter assets, and replacement winches were not requested. Moreover, the introduction of other temporary alternatives would not have been a practicable proposition as they would have required detailed testing to be carried out and appropriate clearances to be obtained; a process which typically takes approximately six months to secure.
	You would wish to be aware that all Chinooks, Merlins and Sea King helicopters deployed on operational Immediate Response Team tasks now have a winch capability to provide greater flexibility of response to the different kinds of incidents they face.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of each type of helicopter are planned to be in service with each armed service in 2020.

Bob Ainsworth: Given that the majority of the helicopters in our current fleets have out of service dates prior to 2020, and that investment decisions are yet to be taken, it is not possible to predict with any certainty the number and type of helicopters which will be in service in 2020.

Orchid Programme

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for placing information about the  (a) procurement and  (b) operation of the Orchid programme in the public domain.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department currently has no plans to place any information in the public domain relating to either the procurement of the Orchid vehicle tracking system or its operational capacity/use. The Ministry of Defence Police have not used the Orchid system since 2004-05.

Orchid Programme

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the decision to procure the Orchid programme.

Bob Ainsworth: The Orchid system was procured by the MOD police in 2000. The decision to procure the Orchid patrol vehicle tracking system was made in financial year 1999-2000. The system was identified as a safety solution, enabling tracking of MOD police vehicles (cars and boats) that were used by the area policing teams (APT) which had a roaming police role. APTs were restructured in 2004 and re-tasked without need to continue the Orchid contract.

Orchid Programme

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which defence contractors have been engaged in supplying  (a) components and  (b) services relating to the Orchid programme.

Bob Ainsworth: The following defence contractors were engaged in supplying components and providing services which related to the Orchid patrol vehicle tracking system: Orchid, Global Telematics (now Thales Telematics), Siemens and VDO.

Orchid Programme

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been allocated to the procurement of the Orchid programme.

Bob Ainsworth: The original purchase order for Orchid was approved for £352,500 (including VAT). By the end of the contract in 2005, a total of £385,860 had been spent. The £33,360 overspend was largely attributed to the extension of the contract to roll Orchid out to a further 14 vehicles in 2001.

Orchid Programme

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings he or officials from his Department have had with external suppliers on the Orchid programme.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department has not had any meetings with external suppliers on the Orchid programme since 2005.

Reserve Forces: Deployment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists were on active service as part of British military operations at the latest date for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 31 May 2008, the number of volunteer reservists called out into permanent service was:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Royal Naval Reserve 100 
			 Royal Marine Reserve 90 
			 Territorial Army 1,176 
			 Royal Auxiliary Air Force 145 
			   
			 Total 1,511

Trident

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the forecast expenditure on Trident 2 is in real terms, expressed in 2008 prices, for each future year for which forecasts have been made.

Bob Ainsworth: The estimated costs of the programme to maintain the United Kingdom's deterrent capability beyond the life of the current system, as set out in the December 2006 White Paper, 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (Cm 6994), and endorsed by Parliament on 14 March 2007, over the next three years are:
	
		
			   £ million at 2008 prices 
			 2008-09 200 
			 2009-10 300 
			 2010-11 400 
		
	
	The main part of the programme has yet to reach the initial gate business case approval stage. Detailed spending plans for future years, therefore, have yet to be set.

Veterans Day

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on making Veterans' Day a national bank holiday; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: To date I have received no formal representations on making Veterans Day a national bank holiday.
	We are in the process of considering the report of the inquiry undertaken by my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies) into national recognition of our armed forces which recommends the creation of a British Armed Forces and Veterans Day and suggests that this would be the right solution were the Government minded to propose to Parliament the creation of another public holiday. Lead responsibility for the latter aspect lies with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR).

Warships: Weapons

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what major armaments systems have recently been removed from  (a) HMS Southampton and  (b) HMS Exeter; when this change in capability was carried out; when it was decided to make this information public; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 16 June 2008
	HMS Southampton had her Sea Dart missiles offloaded in January2008 and HMS Exeter's were removed in July 2007. There was no prior decision to make this public. HMS Southampton and HMS Exeter continue to be armed with weapon system capabilities required to meet their tasking.

JUSTICE

Alternatives to Prison: Young Offenders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people under the age of 21 years in prison for non-violent offences.

David Hanson: The Criminal Justice Act 2003 gave sentencers more options and greater flexibility in imposing adult community sentences which provide a tough and effective alternative to custody. The Government are allocating further funds, including £40 million to probation in 2008-09, so that sentencers can be confident that the resources are in place to deliver effective community punishments. In addition the Government are also providing £13.9 million to fund at least six intensive alternative to custody projects over the next three years.
	We have also revised the community sentencing structure for young people to provide disposals that offer sentencers a strong community alternative to custody. We have introduced the referral order which is the main disposal for young defendants pleading guilty and convicted for the first time, the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme which caters for serious and persistent young offenders and Intensive Fostering, both of which can be attached to community orders. Intensive fostering is being piloted by the Youth Justice Board in three areas and provides a highly intensive programme for serious and persistent young offenders whose home environment is contributing to their offending behaviour.
	The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 introduces a new generic community sentence for young people, the Youth Rehabilitation Order (YRO). The YRO is designed to increase the options available to deal with young offenders in the community with effective and tailored interventions. Under the new order intensive supervision and surveillance and intensive fostering are set out as specific alternatives to custody.

Animal Welfare

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group were (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of offences in each police force area under each relevant section of (A) the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, (B) the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, (C) the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, (D) the Pet Animals Act 1951, (E) the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 and (F) the Deer Act 1991 in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: I am placing in the House Library the information requested, for the period 1997 to 2006, on the number of males and females in each age group proceeded against and found guilty of offences in each police force area under each relevant section of the following Acts;
	The Protection of Badgers Act 1992, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Pet Animals Act 1951, the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 and the Deer Act 1991.
	Information on the number of prosecutions under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 is not identified separately by the Ministry of Justice.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Crime: Victim Support Services

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to provide a comprehensive range of support services for victims of crime as set out in Rebuilding Lives—Supporting the Victims of Crime since the publication of that document.

Maria Eagle: Since the publication of Rebuilding Lives—Supporting Victims of Crime, the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) has piloted victim care units in three areas with the national charity Victim Support. Following the success of these pilots, OCJR has invested in Victim Support to rollout Victim Support Plus across England and Wales (£5.6 million in 2007-08 and £7 million in 2008-09).
	Victim Support Plus expands and improves the way in which support services are accessed by victims. It introduces a process of support that means victims receive a telephone call from a victim care officer to assess their needs within 48 hours of referral from the police. It makes support services to victims easier to access, more consistent and practical, and tailored to victims' needs—so the right services can be provided to victims who need them, when they need them.

Crimes of Violence: Convictions

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for  (a) murder,  (b) rape and  (c) violence against the person in Crown courts in England and Wales since 1997 broken down by (i) year and (ii) age of defendant.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences relating to  (a) murder,  (b) rape and  (c) violence against the person in Crown courts in England and Wales since 1997 broken down by (i) year and (ii) age of defendant can be viewed in the following table.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants found guilty at Crown courts, for offences relating to murder, rape, and violence against the person, by age groups, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Murder  Rape  Violence against the person 
			   10-17  18 and over  10-17  18 and over  10-17  18 and over 
			 1997 26 249 47 467 619 12,034 
			 1998 10 246 23 547 623 11,165 
			 1999 24 228 40 517 591 10,610 
			 2000(4) 20 241 34 481 661 10,930 
			 2001 27 258 33 458 608 11,468 
			 2002 20 304 23 525 696 12,432 
			 2003 9 268 26 556 569 12,826 
			 2004 13 348 27 614 607 13,001 
			 2005 26 368 66 619 565 13,245 
			 2006 19 353 63 683 526 13,418 
			 (1) Data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Data include the following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions, or offences comprising :  Common Law. Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec 1, 9, 10.  Murder of persons aged one year or over.  Murder of infants under one year of age.  Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.I  Rape of a female aged under 16.  Rape of a female aged 16 or over.  Rape of a male aged under 16.  Rape of a male aged 16 or over  Sexual Offences Act 2003 S. 5  Rape of a female child under 13 by a male  Rape of a male child under 13 by a male  Violence against the person includes:  Murder  Attempted Murder  Manslaughter, etc  Aggravated vehicle taking  Wounding or other act endangering life  Endangering railway passenger  Endangering life at sea  Other wounding etc.  Cruelty or neglect of children  Abandoning children under two years  Child abduction  Procuring illegal abortion  Concealment of birth (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4 )Staffordshire police force were only able to supply a nine per cent. sample of data for magistrates courts proceedings covering one full week in each quarter for 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data and to contribute to national totals, these data are not robust at a detailed level and are not included in this analysis.  Source:  Court proceedings data held by CJEA—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2008,  Official Report, column 351W, on Ministerial policy advisers, to which former special advisers his Department has  (a) granted and  (b) withheld approval to take up an outside appointment on leaving post since May 2005.

Michael Wills: I refer to the answer given on 19 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 1190-91W, by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Edward Miliband).

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many permanent staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies are not assigned to a permanent post.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007, bringing together the Department for Constitutional Affairs, Her Majesty's Court service and Associated Offices, the National Offender Management Service, the Prison and Probation Services, and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
	The Ministry of Justice and its agencies cannot provide information on the number of permanent staff who are not assigned to a permanent post. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Security

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which public sector organisations have notified data security breaches to the Information Commissioner since November 2007.

Michael Wills: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is an independent body created by statute. One of their responsibilities is the handling of complaints made under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The ICO has provided the answer to this question.
	The Commissioner encourages organisations to report serious data breaches to his Office, although there is no legal obligation on them to do so. Because of the subjective criteria used by organisations when deciding whether to notify, the severity and impact of the breaches vary.
	As notification of breaches is voluntary and to protect the confidentiality of the information provided, the Information Commissioner does not disclose details of individual breaches. However, he has broken down the number of notifications as:
	
		
			   Notifications since November 2007 
			 Private sector 41 
			 Local government 17 
			 Central Government 30 
			 Other public sector organisations 50 
			 Total 138

Departmental Trade Unions

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which trades unions represent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has in place formal arrangements that recognise the following trade unions and employee representative bodies:
	FDA
	General Municipal Boilers (GMB)
	National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO)
	Prospect
	Prison Officers Association (POA)
	Prison Governors' Association (PGA)
	Public and Commercial Services (PCS)
	Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
	Unite (includes TGWU/Amicus)
	Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT)

Driving Under Influence: Drugs

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for driving under the influence of drugs have related to the use of khat in the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The Court Proceedings Database held by my Department holds data on both drink and drug driving offences. However, prosecutions for these offences separately cannot be accurately established and from the data held the type of drug cannot be identified.

Fines: Surcharges

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was imposed on convicted offenders in magistrates courts in the county of Surrey in respect of the victim's surcharge since its inception; how much of this sum has been collected; and what awards from the Victim's Surcharge Fund have been made in Surrey, broken down by recipient.

Maria Eagle: This information is not available in the exact form requested, we will collect relevant information and write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Hollesley Bay Prison: Training

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the adequacy of the systems in place at Hollesley Bay Prison intended to prevent those on training schemes from  (a) accessing drugs and alcohol and  (b) using their work time for social activities.

Maria Eagle: Adequate systems are in place at Hollesley Bay Prison to prevent those on training schemes from accessing drugs and alcohol and using their work time for social activities. The prison has searching systems, measures to detect alcohol and drugs and undertakes random site checks. It maintains close communications with employers and the Suffolk constabulary.
	Prisoners who work in the leisure and hotel industry are occasionally permitted to use facilities on site. Such activities should not interfere with their need to deliver a full day's work to the satisfaction of their employer.
	Absconds are at their lowest level for 10 years. Despite this fact it is inevitable that there will be temporary release failures and absconds. Open prisons have a range of options for dealing with absconds and license failures from loss of privileges and further release opportunities through to returning prisoners to closed conditions and prosecution by the police.

Judges: Disqualification

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many judges have been removed from the bench following an investigation by the Office for Judicial Complaints since April 2006.

Jack Straw: The Office for Judicial Complaints has responsibility for managing the procedures that enable the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice to reach decisions to remove judicial office holders. That term comprises magistrates, coroners, and fee paid and full-time judiciary who sit in the tribunals, the Crown and county courts and above. Since April 2006 to date, 37 judicial office holders have been removed from office following investigations carried out in accordance with the Judicial Discipline (Prescribed Procedures) Regulations 2006, the Judicial Complaints (Tribunals) Rules 2006 and the Judicial Complaints (Magistrates) Rules 2006. Information about judicial disciplinary decisions is published in the Office for Judicial Complaints' annual report which can be accessed on:
	www.judicialcomplaints.gov.uk

Mental Capacity Act 2005

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) statutory instruments,  (b) departmental circulars and  (c) other documents he (i) has issued since October 2007 and (ii) plans to issue in the next 12 months consequential to the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: Since October 2007 the Lord Chancellor has laid the Mental Capacity Act 2005: Deprivation of liberty safeguards—Code of Practice to supplement the main Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice before Parliament in draft on 13 June 2008. This relates to the deprivation of liberty provisions introduced into the Mental Capacity Act 2005 by the Mental Health Act 2007.
	Two pieces of secondary legislation have also been laid before Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health (Alan Johnson) in relation to the deprivation of liberty provisions:
	The Mental Capacity (Deprivation of Liberty: Standard Authorisations, Assessments and Ordinary Residence) Regulations 2008 were laid before Parliament in draft on 20 May 2008 to be approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.
	SI 2008 No. 1315, The Mental Capacity (Deprivation of Liberty: Appointment of Relevant Person's Representative) Regulations 2008 was laid before Parliament on 20 May 2008 and is subject to the negative resolution procedure.
	The OPG continues to publish a range of forms, guidance and other information to support the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and has amended those forms and guidance as necessary since October 2007. The following table provides a summary of the current forms, guidance and newsletters produced by the Office of the Public Guardian to support the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The summary indicates where amendments to the forms or guidance have been made since October 2007.
	The Office of the Public Guardian's Annual Report and Accounts October 2007 to March 2008 (including the Public Guardian's report as required by Section 60 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005) is due to be published prior to the summer recess.
	The Office of the Public Guardian plans to review the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 later this year. As a result of this formal evaluation and other business improvement initiatives, further secondary legislation, information or guidance may be prepared and brought forward.
	
		
			   Forms, guidance and supporting documentation produced by the Office of the Public Guardian and Court of Protection 
			 EP1PG Notice of intention to apply for registration of an enduring power of attorney 
			 EP2PG Application for Registration of an Enduring Power of Attorney 
			 EP2PG Notes Guidance Notes for completing the application form EP2PG 
			 EPA101 Guidance about Enduring Powers of Attorney and their use Amended January 2008 
			 LPAPA Lasting Power of Attorney Property and Affairs 
			 LPAPA Notes Notes for completing an LPA—Property and Affairs 
			 LPAPW Lasting Power of Attorney Personal Welfare 
			 LPAPW Notes Notes for completing an LPA—Personal Welfare 
			 LPA001 Notice of intention to apply for registration of a Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA002 Application to register a Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA002 Notes Application to register a Lasting Power of Attorney Guidance Notes for completing the application form LPA2 
			 LPA005 Disclaimer by a proposed or acting attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA006 Objection by the donor to the registration of a Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA007 Objection to the Office of the Public Guardian of a proposed registration of a Lasting Power of Attorney on factual grounds 
			 LPA008 Notice to the Office of the Public Guardian of an application to object to registration of a Lasting Power of Attorney made to the Court of Protection 
			 LPA102 A guide for people who want to make a Personal Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) 
			 LPA103 A guide for people who want to make a Property and Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA104 A guide for people taking on the role of personal welfare attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA105 A guide for people taking on the role of property and affairs attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA107 A guide for Certificate Providers and Witnesses 
			 LPA108 A guide to registering a Lasting Power of Attorney 
			 LPA109 Office of the Public Guardian Registers—Register of Lasting Powers of Attorney, Register of Enduring Powers of Attorney and Register of Court orders appointing Deputies 
			 OPG102 Deputyship Report. Amended December 2007 
			 OPG502 OPG and Court: Who we are and what we do 
			 OPG503 OPG and COP Service standards 
			 OPG505 Putting things right—A guide on how to complain. Amended April 2008 
			 OPG505A Complaint Form 
			 OPG506 Court of Protection and Office of the Public Guardian Fees, exemptions and remissions. Amended April 2008 
			 OPG506A Application for a fee exemption or remission. Amended April 2008 and May 2008 
			 OPG507 A guide to supervision for Deputies 
			 COP1 Application 
			 COP1A Annex A: Supporting information for property and affairs applications 
			 COP1B Annex B: Supporting information for health and welfare applications 
			 COP2 Permission 
			 COP003 Assessment of capacity 
			 COP4 Deputy's declaration 
			 COP5 Acknowledgement of service / notification 
			 COP7 Application to object to the registration of a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) 
			 COP8 Application relating to the registration of an enduring power of attorney (EPA) 
			 COP9 Application notice 
			 COP10 Application notice for applications to be joined as a party 
			 COP12 Special undertaking by trustees 
			 COP14 Proceedings about you in the Court of Protection 
			 COP14A Guidance notes on completing form COP14 
			 COP15 Notice that an application form has been issued 
			 COP15A Guidance notes for completing form COP15 
			 COP17 Request for directions relating to an objection to the registration of an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) 
			 COP20 Certificate of service / non-service. Certificate of notification / non-notification 
			 COP22 Certificate of suitability of litigation friend 
			 COP23 Certificate of failure or refusal of witness to attend before an examiner 
			 COP24 Witness statement 
			 COP25 Affidavit 
			 COP29 Notice of hearing for committal order 
			 COP30 Notice of change of solicitor 
			 COP31 Notice of intention to file evidence by deposition 
			 COP28 Notice of hearing 
			 COP35 Appellants notice 
			 COP36 Respondents notice 
			 COP37 Skeleton Argument 
			 COP42 Making an application to the Court of Protection 
			 COP43 A guide for Deputies appointed by the Court of Protection 
			   
			  Booklets and general information about the Act  
			 OPG601 Making decisions about your health, welfare or finances. Who decides when you can't? 
			 OPG602 Making decisions. A guide for family, friends and other unpaid carers 
			 OPG603 Making decisions. A guide for people who work in health and social care 
			 OPG604 Making decisions. A guide for advice workers 
			 OPG605 Making decisions. An Easy Read guide 
			 OPG606 Making decisions. The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service 
			  Health, welfare and finances—who decides if you can't? 
			  Summary of Mental Capacity Act 
			  "3 Stories" a short film to raise awareness of the Act 
			   
			  Additional OPG documents  
			  OPG Framework Document 
			  OPG Business Plan 2008-09 
			  PGO Annual Report and Accounts April-September 2007 
			   
			  Newsletters  
			 MCA Update From July 2005 the MCA Update newsletter has been sent electronically, on a regular basis, to a wide range of stakeholders keeping them informed with progress implementing the new Act. The newsletter is made available in both standard and "easy read" formats, and continues to be sent. 
			 Reaching Out Since August 2005, the Public Guardianship Office's (now Office of the Public Guardian) customer newsletter, Reaching Out, which was usually issued three times a year, has included information about the Mental Capacity Act and how it might affect existing customers. The final issue was issued in October 2007. 
			 OPG In Touch The OPG's new customer newsletter replaced Reaching Out from February 2008. This continues to be issued three times a year, and will continue to provide information to existing customers.

Police Custody

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many additional hours of duty police officers undertook in each police authority area to implement Operation Safeguard in each of the last 24 months.

Jack Straw: Operation Safeguard is an arrangement between the National Offender Management Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers. The estimated cost to NOMS of the provision of police cells under Operation Safeguard in 2007-08 is in the region of £53 million. This includes staff costs. The number of additional hours worked by police officers is an operational matter for police authorities and chief officers and the information is not held centrally.

Prisoners Release

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders not yet returned to prison after recall of their end of custody licence had been recalled for  (a) alleged re-offending,  (b) failure to live at an approved address,  (c) failure to maintain contact with the Probation Service and  (d) poor behaviour.

Jack Straw: 894 offenders placed on End of Custody Licence have been recalled to custody for breaching the conditions of the scheme as at 16 May 2008. This represents 3.4 per cent. of those released on to the scheme. Data on ECL release and recall which have been published monthly since the scheme began, can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustody licence.htm
	Of those recalled and who remained unlawfully at large as of 19 June, 24 were recalled for alleged re-offending (six of whom had also failed to live at their approved address); 31 were recalled for failure to live at an approved address (four of whom had also failed to maintain contact with the Probation Service); 46 were recalled for failure to maintain contact with the Probation Service (three of whom also had poor behaviour); and eight were recalled for poor behaviour.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 647W, on prisoners' release: re-offenders, how many of the alleged further offences committed by offenders on end of custody licence were  (a) rape,  (b) attempted rape and  (c) other sexual offences.

Jack Straw: Four offenders have allegedly committed six sexual offences while they were subject to the end of custody licence, of which one was rape, five were other sexual offences. There were no attempted rapes.

Prisoners: British Nationality

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many UK nationals have been repatriated to finish their sentences in UK prisons in the last three years.

David Hanson: Between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2007, 172 British nationals convicted of offences committed abroad were returned to prisons in England and Wales to continue serving their sentences. The annual break down of transfers in the last three years is as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 61 
			 2006 43 
			 2007 68 
		
	
	The repatriation of prisoners to Scotland and to Northern Ireland is a matter for the Scottish Government and for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he will publish the report of the review of restraint of young people in the secure estate.

David Hanson: I am pleased to announce that the chairs of the independent review of restraint in juvenile secure settings, Andrew Williamson and Peter Smallridge, reported their recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Children, Young People and Families (Beverley Hughes) and I on 20 June.
	We welcome their report and will give its recommendations careful consideration. We intend to publish the chairs' full report alongside our response to its recommendations by the end of October.

Sentencing

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged  (a) under 10, (b) 10 to 17, (c) 18 to 20 and  (d) 21 and over were sentenced to immediate custody for (i) violent and (ii) non-violent crimes in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The requested information is contained in the following table.
	Statistics for 2007 will be published in the autumn.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced( 1)  to immediate custody for violent and non-violent offences by age group, all courts, England and Wales, 2002-06 
			  Number of persons 
			  Age group  Violent offences( 2)  Non-violent offences( 3) 
			  2002   
			 Juveniles (10-17) 2,526 4,890 
			 Young adults (18 -20) 3,652 13,711 
			 Adults (21 and over) 14,057 72,771 
			 Total 20,235 91,372 
			
			  2003   
			 Juveniles (10-17) 1,982 4,218 
			 Young adults (18 -20) 3,353 12,085 
			 Adults (21 and over) 13,788 72,244 
			 Total 19,123 88,547 
			
			  2004   
			 Juveniles (10-17) 2,154 4,171 
			 Young adults (18-20) 3,530 11,106 
			 Adults (21 and over) 14,494 70,867 
			 Total 20,178 86,144 
			
			  2005   
			 Juveniles (10-17) 2,159 3,856 
			 Young adults (18-20) 3,746 10,485 
			 Adults (21 and over) 14,045 66,945 
			 Total 19,950 81,286 
			
			  2006   
			 Juveniles (10-17) 2,351 3,832 
			 Young adults (18-20) 3,853 10,044 
			 Adults (21 and over) 13,760 62,177 
			 Total 19,964 76,053 
			
			 Total all years 79,500 423,402 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Violent offences includes the offences of violence against the person, robbery and sexual offences. (3) Non-violent offences includes the offences of burglary, theft and handling stolen goods, fraud and forgery, drugs offences and all other summary and indictable offences.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: QMS, Analytical Services

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Carers: Young People

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of young people in London with caring responsibilities for family members.

Kevin Brennan: We estimate that there are around 20,500 young carers in London. This estimate is derived from analysis of the data in the 2001 census, which is the most recent information that we have on the number of young carers in England and Wales.

Class Sizes: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the pupil-teacher ratio was in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Wirral West constituency in (i) January 1997 and (ii) January 1998.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the pupil-teacher ratio in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Wirral West constituency and England, January 1997, 1998 and 2007.
	
		
			  Pupil:teacher ratios( 1)  in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools—Years: January 1997, 1998 and 2007; Coverage: Wirral West and England 
			   1997  1998  2007 
			   Wirral West  England  Wirral West  England  Wirral West  England 
			 Primary 23.8 23.4 24.8 23.7 22.6 21.8 
			 Secondary 16.6 16.7 16.7 16.9 14.9 16.5 
			 (1) The within-school PTR is calculated by dividing the total FTE number of pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of qualified teachers regularly employed in schools.  Source: School Census

Classroom Assistants: Manpower

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching assistants are employed in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Bournemouth.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants employed in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in Bournemouth local authority and England, January 2007, the latest figures available.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent teaching assistants in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools—Years: January 2007; Coverage: Bournemouth local authority and England 
			   Bournemouth  England 
			 Nursery/primary 340 105,770 
			 Secondary 80 35,650 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Grandparents

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has estimated the number of young people cared for by grandparents.

Kevin Brennan: The Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents collects information on the types of child care families had used, including informal provision such as care by grandparents. The 2007 survey estimated that 25 per cent. of families had used grandparents to provide child care in the week before the survey, compared with 26 per cent. in 2004 (this change was not statistically significant).

Grandparents

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2008,  Official Report, column 452W, on grandparents, what research the Government have  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on grandparental access to grandchildren in the last 10 years; if he will take steps to commission research on the role of parents in governing grandparent-grandchild relations; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: We have not commissioned or evaluated any research on grandparental access to grandchildren in the last 10 years, and we have no immediate plans to commission research on the role of parents in governing grandparent/grandchild relations. We believe that parents are usually best placed to make decisions about their children's relationships with grandparents and other relatives. However, with leave of the court, it is possible for grandparents to apply for a contact order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, to enable them to maintain a relationship with their grandchildren.

Higher Education: Scholarships

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary school pupils there were who received scholarships for higher education in  (a) Leeds Metropolitan District and  (b) Leeds, West constituency in each year since 2000.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Pupils: Absenteeism

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in secondary schools in  (a) Bexley and  (b) London were classed as (i) persistent and (ii) non-persistent absentees in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Department does not maintain records of 'truancy', as authorised absence rates include lateness and unauthorised holidays during term time.
	The available information relates to pupil enrolments classed as persistent absentees (pupils who are absent for more than 20 per cent. of possible sessions of attendance) and is given in the table.
	
		
			  State funded secondary schools( 1,2) : Pupil absence 2006-07 
			   Number of enrolments who are classed as persistent absentees( 3)  Percentage of enrolments who are classed as persistent absentees( 4) 
			 London Government office region 395,150 6.3 
			 Bexley local authority area 17,268 6.4 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained secondary schools, academies and city technology colleges. (3) Number of enrolments in schools between from start of the school year until 25 May 2007. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between five and 15. Excludes boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered in more than one school). Regional figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. (4) A persistent absentee is defined as missing more than 63 sessions in the year— typically, missing more than 20 per cent of the school year. Pupils can be absent for a range of reasons, including illness and family holiday.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Health

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the  (a) levels of obesity and  (b) general health of schoolchildren in England in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1666W.

School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2008,  Official Report, column 535W, on school meals, whether his Department remains committed to the minimum spend on ingredients announced by his Department in press notice 2005-0044 on 30 March 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given previously for question numbers 202636 and 202637 posed in April 2008. The figures included in the press notice referred to by the hon. Member were a suggestion for the amount that might be needed to be spent on ingredients to deliver a tasty and nutritious meal. Subsequent research found that the vast majority of local authorities were already spending this. The latest figures will be announced by the School Food Trust when it publishes the results of its 2008 annual survey in July.
	The nutritional standards for school food make sure provision is consistent across maintained primary and secondary schools.

Schools: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will visit schools in the London Borough of Bexley to discuss funding.

Jim Knight: DCSF Ministers receive many invitations to visit schools across the country to discuss their individual circumstances and issues. It is not possible to accept all of these, but Ministers do look carefully at the issues in question and other diary commitments when considering each invitation. I therefore invite the hon. Member to contact my office with details of the proposed visit and the issues he would like to discuss, so that I can properly consider his suggestion.

Schools: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average grant per child for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Bournemouth is in 2008-09.

Jim Knight: The dedicated schools grant (DSG) guaranteed unit of funding per pupil for 2008-09 for Bournemouth local authority is £3,820. As the DSG is distributed through a single guaranteed unit of funding per pupil, a primary/secondary split is not available; this figure covers all funded pupils aged three to 15 and is in cash terms (rounded to the nearest £10). This figure covers funding through the DSG only and so does not represent the totality of 'education' funding; there is also funding from the Learning and Skills Council and other grants that support the schools budget where allocations have not yet been finalised for 2008-09.

Schools: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the percentage of places in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Bournemouth which are surplus.

Jim Knight: The Department collects information from each local authority on the number of surplus school places via an annual survey. The most recent data available were collected in January 2007 when Bournemouth had 1,389 spare primary school places, representing 12 per cent. of total primary capacity, and 778 spare secondary school places, representing 8 per cent. of total secondary capacity.

Schools: Buildings

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the quality of school buildings was assessed in Ofsted inspections conducted in the last five years.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to my reply given on 11 June 2008,  Official Report, column 376W.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in what circumstances school forums may award per pupil funding increases of below the minimum funding guarantee; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: A schools forum may approve variations to the minimum funding guarantee proposed by the local authority that together affect no more than 50 per cent. of pupils in the authority's schools. The purpose of this provision is to allow local authorities and their schools forums to handle anomalies that may arise from the operation of the minimum funding guarantee, since the rules set down in the regulations are unable to cover all local circumstances.

Schools: Sports

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many active schools co-ordinators were operating in schools in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Active schools co-ordinators exist only in Scotland. Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Secondary Education: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it his policy to set an improvement target for Nottingham North secondary schools within a local area agreement indicator.

Jim Knight: Local area agreements are due to be in place across the country by the end of June 2008. Government have not negotiated any secondary school targets in Nottingham's LAA, but may seek to do so at the first LAA annual refresh and review if the authority's plans for addressing the National Challenge floor target are not sufficiently robust, or other performance issues arise. Nottingham can, of course, include locally determined targets in their LAA to address secondary school performance at any time, without the need to consult or inform Government.

Secondary Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary schools  (a) have been placed in special measures,  (b) have been issued notices to improve and  (c) have had at least 30 per cent. of students achieving five good GCSEs including English and mathematics in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: In 2007, Ofsted placed 29 secondary schools in special measures. A further 64 were judged to require significant improvement and were given a notice to improve. The following table shows the number of schools placed in an Ofsted category and the number of schools within a category that had at least 30 per cent. of pupils achieving five good GCSEs or equivalent including GCSEs in English and maths:
	
		
			  Schools placed in Ofsted inadequate categories from 1 January to 31 December 2007 
			  Ofsted category  Number of secondary schools placed in an Ofsted category during 2007( 1)  Number of these schools in which 30 per cent. or more of 15-year-old pupils achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent 
			 Special measures 29 10 
			 Significant improvement (Notice to Improve) 64 30 
			 (1) The figures in the table do not include the 12 middle deemed secondary schools that were placed into these categories as they have no pupils at Key Stage 4. Two schools that closed in August 2007 are also not included as their results were not published. 
		
	
	Although some schools placed in an Ofsted category achieve above 30 per cent., a number of these schools may be "coasting", where reasonable numbers of pupils achieve five or more good GCSEs including English and maths, but progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 is unimpressive, or be in danger of falling below the floor target.
	These are factors that Ofsted will take into account when assessing school performance. Ofsted are currently consulting on new inspection arrangements which include a proposal that schools that are coasting, have inconsistent performance or are slipping will be identified quickly and inspected more frequently.
	In 2007, 2,407 maintained secondary schools had 30 per cent. or more of 15-year-old pupils achieving at least five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and maths.

Special Educational Needs: Dyslexia

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools without any teachers with a specialist dyslexia qualification; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many teachers in maintained schools have a specialist dyslexia qualification; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information is not collected centrally. However, on 6 May the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced we have asked Sir Jim Rose to make recommendations on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia. We expect to consider his recommendations early next year.
	Some information about teachers' qualifications will be gathered by the school workforce census which will start in 2010. The information collected will be limited to ensure we do not place an undue burden on schools. So, although it will not collect information about all training, we expect to be able to provide more data than we currently hold on teacher's qualifications.
	The census will be seeking data on relevant qualifications for all teachers. A relevant qualification is any post A-level qualification that the school considers qualifies the teacher or teaching assistant to teach the subjects for which they are timetabled. We expect to see included, as a minimum, teachers' ITT qualifications. For teachers with a PGCE, we are also requesting data on prior degrees. Qualification subject will be coded using the Joint Academic Council principal subjects code set which includes "Training Teachers—Special Needs".

Specialised Diplomas

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether schools and colleges are permitted to conduct selection interviews with pupils before accepting them on to a diploma course; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: With regard to schools, legislation prohibits the interviewing of children or parents to determine admission to a maintained school (except where an interview is used solely to assess the suitability of an applicant for a boarding place). This includes admission to the school at year 12. However meetings can be held to provide advice on options and entry requirements for particular courses, both for new applicants to the school, and for those transferring within the school from year 11 to year 12.
	As independent bodies, colleges are responsible for determining their own mission and managing their own affairs. This includes managing their own assets; being responsible for the employment of their staff; and setting their own policies and admissions criteria.
	Our prime concern is that every young person is able to access the programme of learning that is best suited to their abilities and aspirations. Diplomas are an important part of ensuring the right choices are available to young people. The decision over whether a young person takes a diploma will be driven by what the young person wants to do, and what is in the best interests of that young person. The introduction of diplomas does not change the existing arrangements for admissions either to schools or colleges. It is a longstanding and common practice for both schools and colleges to have meetings with their students to advise them and help them choose the right courses of study for their needs. This is separate from admissions.

Swimming: Finance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance he has issued to education authorities on the funding of school swimming pools in the last five years.

Jim Knight: No guidance specifically on the capital funding of school swimming pools has been issued to local education authorities by this Department in the last five years. There are no barriers to schools or authorities using schools capital funding for capital maintenance of existing pools, or to construct new ones where this is their local priority.
	In our non-statutory area guidelines for schools, Building Bulletin 98, "Briefing Framework for Secondary School Projects" (2004), indoor swimming pools fall into the category of supplementary net area which is not included where the Department uses these guidelines as a funding model, for instance for Building Schools for the Future. Our guidance suggests that swimming pools will therefore normally need other sources of funding, such as local authority leisure service, Lottery or Department of Culture Media and Sport funding.
	This guidance is repeated in "Inspirational Design for PE and Sports Spaces" (2005). We also counsel that pools should be cost efficient to allow the facility to be managed with sustainable operating costs. These publications are available in the parliamentary Libraries.

Teachers: Crimes of Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers in England were the victims of  (a) assault and  (b) sexual assault in the course of or in relation to their duties in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region.

Jim Knight: The number of incidents of assaults towards staff in schools is not collected centrally. My Department does collect information on the reasons why pupils have been excluded, either for a fixed period or permanently. This includes a category for "physical assault against an adult" although this is not broken down by category of assault.
	Local authority and region level tables for the last three years showing the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions by reason have been placed in the Library. For 2005/06 this information is only available for secondary schools due to underlying changes in the data collection. For 2006/07 this coverage will extend to also include primary and special schools.
	Exclusions data relating to 2006/07 are expected to be available at the end of June 2008.

Teachers: Recruitment

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the areas of the country facing difficulties in recruiting teachers; and what the reasons are for such difficulties.

Jim Knight: Information collected by the Department relates to full-time vacancy rates. These figures are published in table 7 of the Statistical First Release on School Workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2008 (provisional), accessible through:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000787/index. shtml
	and in table 20 of the Statistical First Release on School Workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2007 (Revised), accessible through:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rs3atewav/DB/SFR/s000743/index. shtml
	Overall vacancy rates have decreased since 2002. There is no national shortage of teachers and the overall gap between the demand and supply of teachers continues to close. There are 441,200 full-time equivalent teachers in maintained schools—1,900 more than last year; 176,900 full-time equivalent teaching assistants—13,100 more than last year and 149,500 full-time equivalent administrative staff, technicians and other support staff—up 5,000 on last year. The pupil-teacher ratio has fallen in primaries from 21.8 pupils for every teacher to 21.6 and in secondary schools from 16.5 to 16.1.

Teachers: Resignations

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research he has commissioned on reasons for teachers leaving the profession within a few years of qualification; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has commissioned a six-year longitudinal study of teachers' experiences of initial teacher training and early professional development. The project, "Becoming a Teacher", started in 2003 with a sample of trainees in their final year of initial teacher training and is ongoing as it follows them through their early career. Ninety-one per cent. of survey respondents who were currently teaching or planning to be in teaching in the following term indicated that they expected to still be in teaching in four years' time. At the time of the survey there were 106 participants who had worked as a teacher since completing their training but were not now working as a teacher and were not looking for a teaching post. Reasons cited included being unable to find a job, behaviour of pupils/pupil discipline, deciding to move into another career, family reasons/commitments and workload. However, over half the respondents anticipated returning to teaching in the future.
	This area has been researched extensively, and the Department has also commissioned a series of reports by Smithers and Robinson, published in 2003, 2004, 2005 to investigate teacher turnover, wastage and destinations.
	It should be noted that many teachers return to service after a break. In 2005-06, the latest year for which figures are available, around 10,000 qualified teachers returned to service in the maintained sector (all school types) after a break of at least one year.

Teaching Methods

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of classes in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools were set by ability at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: As stated in the responses to the hon. Gentlemen's parliamentary questions 202069 and 202073 (April 2008), data on how many lessons in England are set by ability are not currently collected. The latest period for which Ofsted data indicate the proportion of lessons in each school year which are set by ability is 2002-03.
	The figures for the percentage of secondary lessons set, as observed by Ofsted, in 2002-03 were included in our reply to parliamentary question 202073. The figures for primary lessons are outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  Lessons in primary schools observed by Ofsted during inspections in 2002-03—percentage set by ability 
			   Percentage 
			   Class formed on the basis of prior attainment in the subject (setted) 
			 Year l 2 
			 Year 2 4 
			 Key stage 1 3 
			 Year 3 7 
			 Year 4 7 
			 Year 5 9 
			 Year 6 12 
			 Key stage 2 9 
		
	
	The figures in the table have been provided by Ofsted, which is responsible for the inspection and regulation of care for children and young people, and the inspection of education and training for learners of all ages.

Truancy: Lincolnshire

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in secondary education in  (a) Cleethorpes,  (b) Great Grimsby,  (c) North East Lincolnshire and  (d) North Lincolnshire were classed as persistent truants in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The available information relates to persistent absentees (pupils who are absent for more than 20 per cent. of possible sessions of attendance) and is given in the table.
	
		
			  State funded secondary schools( 1,2) : Pupil absence 2006-07 
			   Number of enrolments( 3)  Percentage of persistent absentees( 4) 
			 North East Lincolnshire local authority area 11,213 7.2 
			 North Lincolnshire local authority area 10,709 6.4 
			 Cleethorpes constituency 7,447 6.6 
			 Great Grimsby constituency 4,701 8.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Includes maintained secondary schools, academies and city technology colleges.  (3) Number of enrolments in schools between from start of the school year until 25 May 2007. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between 5 and 15. Excludes boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered in more than one school).  (4) A persistent absentee is defined as missing more than 63 sessions in the year—typically, missing more than 20 per cent. of the school year.   Source:  School Census.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Nationality: Prisoners

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals are in prisons outside the UK.

Meg Munn: As of 31 March 2008, our consular officials were aware of 2,208 British nationals detained overseas. This figure includes those awaiting trial and those serving custodial sentences.

Burma: Human Rights

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Thai government's influence over the government of Burma on human rights; and what plans he has to make progress on alternative means of persuading the Burmese regime to take account of human rights.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I both met Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama on 2 June and encouraged the Thai government to bring its influence to bear to support democracy, human rights and an improved quality of life for the people of Burma. Thailand and Burma share a 2,400 kilometre border and strong economic links and Thailand is home to an estimated 2 million Burmese migrants and 140,000 refugees. Both countries are members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thailand is therefore in a key position to influence the government of Burma.
	The human rights situation in Burma is of grave concern to both the UK and the wider international community. We have consistently used all available channels to highlight the dire situation in Burma. This has included engagement with civil society, bilateral action, multilateral action in the UN (including its Human Rights Council) and sustained dialogue and lobbying of all those who may have influence over the Burmese government. In discussions with ASEAN member countries, we have emphasised the leading role they have to play in supporting reform in their fellow member state.

Common Agricultural Policy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials have had with their French counterparts on the French EU Presidency's programme for the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I, as well as officials at our Embassy in Paris, and at the UK Representation in Brussels and across our European network, are in regular contact with our French interlocutors on a full range of issues.
	We support the French presidency's work to conclude the Common Agricultural Policy Health Check by the end of the year. We will be seeking an ambitious outcome which cuts market distortion, reduces the burden on farmers and brings greater environmental benefits.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the possible effects of foreign exchange movements on his Department's budget; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recently contracted, through the Bank of England, the forward purchase of 80 per cent. of our forecast net euro and US dollar exposure to the end of the current financial year, providing us with budgetary certainty on this substantial proportion of our budget.
	We are looking to identify options for future forward purchases for the remainder of the comprehensive spending review period—2009-10 and 2010-11—including for other currencies.

EC Common Foreign and Security Policy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials have had with their French counterparts on the French EU presidency's programme for European security and defence policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Ministers and officials have regular contact with their French counterparts to discuss a range of EU issues, including French plans for their presidency of the EU.

International Atomic Energy Agency

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK put forward proposals on strengthening the International Atomic Energy Agency at the 28 April to 9 May Preparatory Committee for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Second Session; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: At the recent Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee, the UK called for universal adoption of integrated safeguards which would make a major contribution to strengthening the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) safeguards regime and, with EU partners, for as many states as possible to ratify the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. The UK also urged a leading role for the IAEA in the development of multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle and, along with P5 partners, called for Iran to implement fully its IAEA obligations.

Iran: Baha'i Community

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will condemn publicly the recent arrests of members of the Baha'i community in Iran; and whether his Department has attempted to establish the whereabouts of those detained.

Meg Munn: The Government remain deeply concerned that the seven leading members of Iran's Baha'i community are still detained following their arrest over a month ago. The individuals were held incommunicado for a number of weeks but we have recently received confirmation, from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the UK, that most of the group are now known to be in Evin Prison in Tehran. We understand that further arrests of Baha'is have since taken place in Esfahan and Ghaemshahr.
	The Government are committed to raising human rights concerns with the Iranian authorities and regularly raise concerns about the ongoing persecution of Iranian Baha'is, both bilaterally and through the EU. On 21 May the EU, with strong UK support, issued a public statement of concern calling for the release of these individuals and an end to the persecution of the Baha'i community. We have also publicly and consistently expressed our concerns about the situation of the Baha'is in Parliament.

Iran: Sanctions

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sanctions the European Union member states have agreed to impose if Iran does not accept the refreshed package of incentives to be presented to it.

David Miliband: The UK continues to work closely with international partners, including the EU, to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. We expect further EU sanctions shortly, but it would not be appropriate to disclose at this stage the details of any further measures that may be applied to Iran.

Iraq: Christianity

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iraq on the situation of Iraqi Christians resident in Iraq.

David Miliband: Our diplomatic missions in Iraq and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Human Rights in Iraq regularly raise the need for adequate protection of minority groups with the Government of Iraq. The key to improving the position of vulnerable or minority groups is political reconciliation and further reduction in the violence which is affecting all sectors of Iraqi society. Although we do not support the use of the death penalty, we are encouraged by the recent conviction of the killer of Archbishop Rahho of Mosul as an example of Iraqi commitment to tackling those responsible for violence against minority groups.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the expiration in December 2008 of the UN mandate for the international coalition in Iraq (UNSCR 1790 (2007)) on the activities of British armed forces in Iraq; what his policy is on the expiration of the mandate; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: UK forces have a clear mission to fulfil in southern Iraq, focused on the mentoring and training of 14 (Iraqi Army) Division in Basra until it is fully operational. Final decisions on our military plans and presence in Iraq in 2009 have not yet been taken, but will be based on conditions in Iraq.
	We are in discussion with coalition partners and the government of Iraq over our legal requirements following the anticipated expiry of the UN Security Council mandate at the end of 2008, with a view to ensuring that our military (and civilian) assistance to Iraq remains on a sound legal footing.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the mandate for the international coalition in Iraq has been reviewed in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1790 (2007).

David Miliband: The UN Security Council reviewed the mandate of the Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I) on 13 June. Members of the Security Council agreed upon the continuation of the MNF-I mandate and of the arrangements for the Development Fund for Iraq and the International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1790 (2007).

Kosovo: International Cooperation

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of co-operation between the European Union, the United Nations and NATO in Kosovo.

David Miliband: The EU, UN and NATO continue to work together closely to achieve their shared goal: a stable, prosperous and multi-ethnic Kosovo and wider Balkan region. All relevant players have consulted closely on the arrangements for the reconfiguration of international presences in Kosovo set out in the report of the UN Secretary-General to the UN Security Council of 12 June.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in defining the respective competences of the EU's EULEX mission in Kosovo and the UN's UNMIK mission.

David Miliband: The UN Secretary-General's report on the UN Mission in Kosovo of 12 June, envisages that the EU Rule of Law mission will perform an enhanced operational role in the area of rule of law under the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the overall authority of the UN. The EU will gradually assume increasing operational responsibility in the areas of international policing, justice, and customs throughout Kosovo.
	The UN presence will be reconfigured to carry out the following functions, among others yet to be defined: monitoring and reporting; facilitating, where necessary and possible, arrangements for Kosovo's engagement in international agreements; facilitating dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade on issues of practical concern; and functions related to a proposed dialogue with the government in Belgrade on the issues of police, courts, customs, transportation and infrastructure, boundaries and Serbian patrimony.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made in the deployment of the EULEX mission to Kosovo.

David Miliband: The EU Rule of Law mission is in the process of deploying throughout Kosovo. It will gradually take up its responsibilities over the summer, in coordination with the UN Mission in Kosovo and the other international presences.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the United Nations Mission in Kosovo will assume following the coming into force of Kosovo's constitution on 15th June.

David Miliband: The UN Secretary-General's report on the UN Mission in Kosovo of 12 June envisaged that, following the entry into force of Kosovo's Constitution, the UN presence in Kosovo would be reconfigured to carry out the following functions, among others to be fully defined: monitoring and reporting; facilitating, where necessary and possible, arrangements for Kosovo's engagement in international agreements; facilitating dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade on issues of practical concern; and functions related to a proposed dialogue with the government in Belgrade on the issues of police, courts, customs, transportation and infrastructure, boundaries and Serbian patrimony.

Lebanon: Foreign Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on official contact with the government of Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK has contact with the current Government of Lebanon, both at official and ministerial level. During a visit to Lebanon from 8-9 June, I met President Suleiman, Prime Minister Siniora and Speaker Berri.
	The Doha Accord of 21 May 2008 called for the formation of a new National Unity Government. We hope that this Government can be appointed swiftly.

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has received representations from the International Atomic Energy Agency seeking clarification of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's legal status under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and what UK policy is on this matter.

David Miliband: In Dr. ElBaradei's Introductory Statement to the Board of Governors on 2 June, he asked for guidance from states parties about the status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). We have not received any direct representation from the International Atomic Energy Agency on this point. We continue to regard DPRK as being a state party to the NPT because it has not followed the correct treaty withdrawal procedures.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government policy is on further UN Security Council action against the government of Sudan in relation to any further refusal to comply with the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for  (a) Mr. Ahmad Harun and  (b) Mr. Ali Kushay; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1593 of March 2005 referred the human rights situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). We have continued to press the Government of Sudan, at all levels, to comply with the ICC requirements, including during the UN Security Council's visit to Sudan this month. My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown and I raised the need for Sudan to comply with the ICC in our meetings with Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor on 28 April. We have also raised Sudanese compliance with the ICC with partners, including in the UN Security Council, who have influence over the Government of Sudan.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with members of the Arab League countries on the compliance of the government of Sudan with arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Mr. Ahmad Harun and Mr. Ali Kushayb; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: Ministers and officials have had a number of discussions with members of the Arab League to press them to use their influence with the Government of Sudan on a range of issues, including co-operation with the International Criminal Court.

Sudan: Arms Trade

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to secure a UN arms embargo on Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK asked the UN Sanctions Committee of 6 November 2007 to extend its arms embargo on Darfur to all of Sudan, but not all UN Security Council members agreed. Since then, we have raised the issue whenever Sudan has been discussed in the UN Security Council and elsewhere, including at the UN/African Union led talks on Darfur in Geneva on 5 June.
	On 12 June 2008 the UK reiterated in the UN Security Council the need for all parties to adhere to the arms embargo on Darfur. We will continue to press for an extension of the arms embargo.
	The EU continues to operate an arms embargo on the whole of Sudan.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to promote measures to ensure that crimes committed against peacekeepers and aid workers in Darfur are investigated and prosecuted where appropriate; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UN-African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Darfur is there to protect civilians and aid workers. We will continue to support the UN and AU to ensure that crimes committed against peacekeepers and aid workers in Darfur do not go unpunished. We have made clear to all parties to the conflict that there can be no impunity for crimes committed in Darfur.

Zimbabwe: Elections

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the role of the Zimbabwean military on the re-run of the presidential elections expected on 27th June; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We are increasingly concerned about the role of the Zimbabwean military and other security forces in perpetrating violence in the run up to the presidential election on 27 June. For it to be credible, the election needs to take place in a free and fair environment. That is why we are pressing for the deployment of international observers as soon as possible.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments: EC Law

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's role and responsibilities are for implementation of the provisions of European Council Directive 76/768 in respect of cosmetic experimentation on animals.

Meg Hillier: Implementation of the provisions of European Council Directive 76/768 is the responsibility of the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. In 1997-98 the Government secured a voluntary ban on the testing of cosmetic finished products and ingredients on animals in the United Kingdom. The ban on the testing of finished products was made compulsory on 11 September 2004, with the implementation of the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2004.

Community Relations

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where the police officers and other staff announced on 16 April 2008 as being assigned to work on preventing violent extremism, will be deployed.

Tony McNulty: Following the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary of more than 300 additional Prevent posts over the next three years, Sir Norman Bettison of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism and Allied Matters) wrote to all the chief constables in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 2 May. He set out the proposed distribution and rationale behind funding for the prevention of violent extremism at national, regional and local levels. Priority areas are those localities where there is significant threat of people becoming or supporting terrorists. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary publicly announced the allocation of new posts as part of the launch of the Prevent strategy on 2 June.
	In all, 24 forces will benefit from additional resources in 2008-09 and the allocation will be reviewed in November for 2009-10.
	Derbyshire
	Nottinghamshire
	Bedfordshire
	Hertfordshire
	Humberside
	West Yorkshire
	Greater Manchester Police
	Merseyside
	Sussex
	Hampshire
	Staffordshire
	South Wales
	Leicestershire
	Northamptonshire
	Cambridgeshire
	Cleveland
	Northumbria
	South Yorkshire
	Lancashire
	Surrey
	Thames Valley
	Avon and Somerset
	West Midlands
	Metropolitan Police Service
	With regard to the deployment of resources, the chief officer of a police force is responsible for operational management. The Home Office is responsible for the provision of funding.

Community Relations: Extremism

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which stakeholders will be consulted when deciding which community projects will be given funding from the pledged £12.5 million to help prevent extremism in communities; what the process will be to decide which organisations and projects will be given funding; how the effects of the funding will be assessed; and who will monitor those effects.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office has carried out a cross-Government consultation with all of its key stakeholders including Ministry of Justice and Communities and Local Government. To identify which organisations and projects will be given funding we identified a number of existing organisations who have the relevant skills and knowledge we were looking for. All approved projects are fully evaluated and are also independently reviewed to ensure they have delivered what they set out to do and have provided value for money.

Crimes Against Humanity

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on visits to the UK by individuals under indictment by European or international courts for violations of humanitarian law,  (a) as part of official delegations and  (b) as individuals.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 June 2008
	The Government's policy is that the UK should not be a safe haven for individuals who have been involved in, or suspected of involvement in, war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.
	If individuals indicted by European or international courts applied to visit the UK, we would seek either to refuse them entry in line with that policy, or to comply with any requirements or obligations to assist with their surrender to the courts.

Unionist Parties: Meetings

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a list of meetings she attended with hon. and right hon. Members from the  (a) Democratic Unionist Party and  (b) Ulster Unionist Party, including those meetings at which no civil servants were present, between 31 March 2008 and 11 June 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 18 June 2008
	Between 31 March and 11 June 2008, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary met representatives from the DUP on the following occasions:
	8 May
	20 May
	3 June
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary did not meet representatives from the UUP.
	I will place this list in the Library.

Departmental Records: Lost Property

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to find the case files relating to the constituent of the hon. Member for Vauxhall, reference J1107380.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 June 2008.

Deportation: China

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many Chinese nationals convicted of criminal offences in the United Kingdom were deported in each of the last six years;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the Chinese Government on accepting Chinese nationals intended for deportation from the United Kingdom who have been convicted of criminal offences in the UK.

Liam Byrne: The information requested can be obtained only through the detailed examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly updated the Home Affairs Committee with all of the most robust and accurate information available.
	She advised the Committee in her letter of 17 December 2007 that through ongoing negotiations with foreign governments the UK has now established safe routes and re-documentation arrangements with a significant number of countries and that this is aiding our ability to return prisoners and other people at an improving pace. In particular we have signed a returns agreement with China and we are working ever more closely with governments around the world to facilitate removals.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the euro changeover plan of  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies was last updated; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of each plan.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office produced its euro changeover plan in December 2002; related arrangements for its agencies were included in the Home Office Plans.
	A copy of the plan has been placed in the Library.

Essex Police: Bureaucracy

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average amount of time each week that police officers in Essex Police spent  (a) on patrol and  (b) dealing with paperwork in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 17 June 2008
	 The latest available data are for 2006-07 and are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Essex police—time spent on patrol and paperwork 
			  2006-07  Percentage 
			 Time Spent on Patrol 11.80 
			 Time Spent on all Paperwork 24.70 
			 Time Spent on Incident Related Paperwork(1) 11.60 
			 (1) Also included in time spent on paperwork. 
		
	
	Time on patrol on its own does not provide an accurate picture of frontline police activity. In 2006-07 Essex police officers spent 64.8 per cent. of their time on frontline duties. The measurement of time on patrol only refers to the time when an officer is patrolling but engaged in no other duty. Any activity that an officer responds to while on patrol (such as street crime or a burglary) is recorded separately against the other activity and not shown as patrol. In the last three years the Essex police has returned 1,000 police officers to frontline duties from back office functions.
	We are committed to reducing the time spent on paperwork by police officers, as is Essex police. The force has made a pledge to attend the scene of every crime and take a full witness statement from all victims, dependent on their individual needs which may contribute to the extra time spent on paperwork.
	I am told by Essex police that comparing 2007-08 with the previous year shows 8,000 fewer victims of crime in the county, 1,000 more crimes detected, 13,500 fewer incidents of antisocial behaviour, and an additional 3,500 persons arrested. This is welcome and shows that the force is making Essex a safer place in which to live.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has already accepted Sir Ronnie Flanagan's recommendation to remove lengthy Stop and Account forms, and will also consider more proportionate and streamlined stop and search and crime recording forms. We are continuing with consultation on reforms of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, streamlining the Criminal Justice process, and investing £50 million in new mobile data technology.

Helicopters: Tewkesbury

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a police helicopter was flying at grid reference GR 214 384, over land at Fiddington, adjacent to Clayton Lane, near Tewkesbury, on 4 December 2007 between 4.15 p.m. and 4.45 p.m.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 16 June 2008
	This would normally be a matter for the police, or police forces concerned. I have, however, been informed on this occasion that there were no police helicopters flying at grid reference GR 214 384, over land at Fiddington, adjacent to Clayton Lane, near Tewkesbury, on 4 December 2007 between 4.15 p.m. and 4.45 p.m.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the maximum number of persons is that can be held on the immigration detention estate.

Liam Byrne: The immigration detention estate is comprised of dedicated male, female and family accommodation, giving a normal total capacity of 2,550 places.
	An ongoing refurbishment and repair programme has temporarily reduced the current capacity to 2,477 places.

Internet: Advertising

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will review the guidance note her Department has issued on the compatibility of targeted online advertising with existing legislation, with particular reference to the online marketing tool, Phorm;
	(2)  what reports she has received on the compatibility of the internet marketing tool Phorm with existing legislation; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what investigations have been carried out by  (a) her Department and  (b) police forces into the use of the internet marketing tool Phorm.

Tony McNulty: In response to requests from some companies in the communications industry for a Home Office view on targeted online advertising and the applicability of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), a note was issued in February this year. The note was produced without reference to any particular technology or application. It was not intended for publication, but was disseminated by one of the companies. It can be found at:
	http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/pipermail/ukcrypto/2008-March/083561.html
	The note expressed a generalised view on whether RIPA was relevant to targeted online advertising. However, it was not formal guidance nor was it a definitive statement of the law. The Home Office has subsequently received a number of representations and reports from interested parties who have expressed their view on this matter. Those representations have not changed the Home Office view, as set out in the note.
	The Home Office has not undertaken any investigations into any targeted online advertising services. Investigations of this nature would be a matter for the police, although we are not aware of any such investigations.

Jean Charles de Menezes

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions  (a) she,  (b) Ministers in her Department,  (c) her special advisers and  (d) officials in her Department had with the Commissioner of the Police for the Metropolis about Jean Charles de Menezes in each week since January 2006; what the (i) location and (ii) duration of each meeting was; whether a record of each meeting was kept; who attended each meeting; what the cost was of each meeting, broken down by (A) administrative and (B) other costs; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 18 March 2008
	 Regular discussions take place between the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis and Ministers and senior Home Office officials on matters of mutual interest. During the period in question these will have included on occasion the tragic case of Mr. de Menezes.

Lincolnshire Police Authority

Douglas Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to make a statement on the precept levied by the Lincolnshire Police Authority.

Tony McNulty: The Lincolnshire police authority have submitted written representations as to why their budget increase was not excessive and have also made oral representations at a joint meeting with my hon. Friend, the Minister for Local Government, and me.
	We are currently considering those representations and will make an announcement as soon as possible.

Metropolitan Police: Public Relations

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department has on the amount spent by the Metropolitan Police on public relations in each of the last four years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 June 2008
	 This is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service.

MI5: Political Impartiality

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer of 9 June 2008,  Official Report, column 16, what criteria govern the range of subjects on which it is appropriate for the Security Service to express a professional view without contravention of its political neutrality.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 16 June 2008
	The Security Service is the UK's security intelligence agency. It works to protect the UK against covertly organised threats by obtaining, collating, analysing and assessing secret intelligence relating to threats to national security.
	Section 1 of the Security Service Act 1989 establishes the functions of the Security Service as:
	"... the protection of national security and, in particular, its protection against threats from espionage, terrorism and sabotage, from the activities of agents of foreign powers and from actions intended to overthrow or undermine parliamentary democracy by political, industrial or violent means ...";
	" ... to safeguard the economic well-being of the United Kingdom against threats posed by the actions or intentions of persons outside the British Islands ..."; and
	" ... to act in support of the activities of police forces, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and other law enforcement agencies in the prevention and detection of serious crime ...".
	It is on these functions that it is appropriate for the Service to advise the Government, normally in private. This in no way conflicts with the duty placed on the Director General, by section 2(2)(b),
	"... that the Service does not take any action to further the interest of any political party...".
	This requirement for political neutrality is reflected in the Home Secretary's reply of 9 June. There might from time to time be circumstances in which a statement is made for public information. It is for the Director General to decide when and in what circumstances to issue such a statement in consultation with the Secretary of State, other agencies or Departments, or the police, as appropriate.

Missing Persons: Cheshire

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Cheshire constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Cheshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Cumbria

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Cumbria constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area of origin; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Cumbria constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Derbyshire

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Derbyshire constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Derbyshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Devon

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Devon and Cornwall constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area of origin; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Devon and Cornwall constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Durham

Hilary Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Durham constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Durham constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Gloucestershire constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Gloucestershire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Greater London

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to the Metropolitan police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Metropolitan police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Greater Manchester police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Greater Manchester police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Hampshire

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Hampshire constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Hampshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Kent

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Kent constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Kent constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Lincolnshire

Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Lincolnshire police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Lincolnshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Merseyside

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Merseyside police in 2007, broken down by local authority area of origin; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Merseyside police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Northamptonshire

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing persons were made to Northamptonshire police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Northamptonshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Northumbria

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Northumbria police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Northumbria police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Nottinghamshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Nottinghamshire police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Nottinghamshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Somerset

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Avon and Somerset constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Avon and Somerset constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: South Yorkshire

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to South Yorkshire police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for South Yorkshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Staffordshire

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Staffordshire police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Staffordshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Sussex

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Sussex police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Sussex police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Thames Valley

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Thames Valley police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12 years,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 years and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years old related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Thames Valley police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to West Midlands police in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for West Midlands police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: West Yorkshire

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to West Yorkshire police in 2007, broken down by local authority area, and how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 June 2008
	 This is a matter for West Yorkshire police. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Missing Persons: Wiltshire

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Wiltshire constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged 12 to 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Wiltshire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	The Missing Persons Bureau has as one of its priorities the development of a national picture of the phenomenon of missing persons. It is working towards this in conjunction with its partners and stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group.

National Security

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has liaised with her counterparts in the  (a) Welsh Assembly Government,  (b) Northern Ireland Executive and  (c) Scottish Executive in respect of the application of anti-terrorism measures to the devolved Administrations as set out in The Prevent Strategy: A Guide for Local Partners in England.

Tony McNulty: The Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office works with colleagues in the devolved Administrations to ensure that the Government's counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, is delivered effectively across the UK.
	The Prevent Guide published on 3 June 2008 is aimed at local partners in England only because of the different local delivery arrangements in the devolved Administrations. However, much of the cross-cutting information it contains will help local partners and partnerships in the devolved Administrations to develop and implement effective actions to stop people becoming or supporting terrorists or violent extremists.

Office for Civil Nuclear Security: Vetting

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had with the Office for Civil Nuclear Security on the implications for its vetting procedures of the addition of several categories of nuclear specialists to the national shortage list.

Liam Byrne: No discussions have been held with the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS). Employers are responsible for ensuring that appropriate vetting is undertaken with the OCNS.
	Changes to the national shortage list are based on labour market considerations only, where research, endorsed by industry stakeholders, highlights UK-wide skills shortages.

Police Custody

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police force have undertaken Operation Safeguard duties in the last 12 months; and how much time was spent on such duties by each force.

Jack Straw: I have been asked to reply.
	Operation Safeguard is an arrangement between the National Offender Management Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers. The estimated cost to NOMS of the provision of police cells under Operation Safeguard in 2007-08 is in the region of £53 million. This includes staff costs. The number of police officers who have taken part in Operation Safeguard is an operational matter for police authorities and chief officers and the information is not held centrally.

Police: ICT

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future  (a) governance and  (b) funding of NSPIS Custody and Case Preparation; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Now that the implementation of the NSPIS Custody and Case Preparation systems has been achieved, the programme is nearing completion and plans are in place for its formal closure. At that point, the responsibility for the governance of the delivered systems will pass to the National User Group which is chaired by an ACPO officer and which is made up of representatives from forces and from the NPIA.
	The cost of the NSPIS CuCP programme will be met by the NPIA in 2008-09. Thereafter, the costs of supporting and maintaining these systems will be shared with police forces. The NPIA is working with the National User Group to agree a programme of work to reduce these costs.

Police: ICT

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the IMPACT programme; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The IMPACT Programme, which is now part of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), has made considerable progress on its three main work streams:
	The programme is helping forces to implement the requirements of the Code of Practice and supporting Guidance on the Management of Police Information, which together provide a national framework for improved and more consistent processes for managing information. As part of this, two sets of peer reviews have been completed, the results of which show that forces are making good progress towards the target of implementation across all business areas by 2010. A third set of reviews is ongoing and is due to be completed later this year.
	The programme delivered the IMPACT Nominal Index (INI) in December 2005. This provides a means for an investigating officer in one force or other policing agency to quickly and efficiently establish which other policing agencies might hold information on an individual of interest to their inquiries. The system has now been deployed to 67 organisations across the United Kingdom and currently holds over 61 million records. Over the 12 months from April 2007, use of the INI tripled, with around 36,000 searches being conducted in March 2008. Since its deployment, around half-a-million searches have been conducted in total, an estimated 11 per cent. of which have led to requests to other agencies for access to information they hold.
	The programme is in the process of selecting a commercial partner to design, build, deploy and run a Police National Database (PND). Having established the Police Services' requirements, a Contract Notice was published in the  Official Journal of the European Union in May 2007. From the 14 consortia that formally responded, the Programme selected three to participate in detailed negotiations. It is anticipated that, following completion of these negotiations and the evaluation of the final tenders, a contract will be awarded to the successful supplier before the end of 2008.
	It is planned to roll out the system in phases, with the first phase focusing on sharing and linking information that is currently held in local systems across the main United Kingdom police forces. Most of the first phase of capabilities are expected to be deployed during 2010, although it is possible that some early functionality might be delivered during 2009.
	Subject to affordability in the next spending period, the second phase will focus on broadening the user base for the PND and securing the long term future of the current Police National Computer. Deployment of phase two is expected to commence after 2012.

Police: Joint Ventures

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she provides guidance to chief constables on the appropriateness of them serving on the boards of joint venture companies which have a majority shareholding by a private company.

Tony McNulty: No such guidance has been issued. Regulation 7 of the Police Regulations 2003 requires that chief police officers give written notice of any business interest to the relevant police authority.

Police: Pay

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the cost of backdating the revision of commutation factors for the lump sum paid to all police officers who retired before 1 October 2007;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of retired police officers who would benefit if the revision of commutation factors for the lump sum paid to all police officers who retired before 1 October 2007 was backdated;
	(3)  for what reasons the backdating of changes to the revision of commutation factors for the lump sum paid to retiring police officers was applied to officers retiring after 1 October 2007.

Tony McNulty: The detailed arrangements for the implementation of new lump sum commutation factors under the Police Pension Scheme 1987 required time for consideration and consultation across Departments before they could be put in place. In view of the time taken we decided, in consultation with the Government Actuary's Department, that it would be appropriate to backdate implementation to 1 October 2007.
	As at 31 March 2007, the most recent date for which figures are available, projections suggested a total of 95,000 retired police officers in receipt of a police pension. Estimates have not been made of the number of these former officers who commuted part of their annual pension for a lump sum, or the cost of applying the new commutation factors to all such former officers.

Stop and Search: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been stopped and searched by police in each London borough in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) ethnic background.

Tony McNulty: Data on stops and searches are collected by police force area. People stopped and searched are not required to provide their age or date of birth. Therefore information is not available on break down by age.
	Information on the number of stop and searches by ethnicity in the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police areas for 2006-07 will be published in July 2008. The following tables provide statistics for the reporting years 2001-02 to 2005-06.
	
		
			  Metropolitan Police: 'Stop and search' by ethnicity, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  Number 
			   Ethnic appearance of person searched 
			   White  Black  Asian  Other  Not known/recorded  Total 
			 2001-02 102,250 67,894 25,264 3,801 4,124 203,333 
			 2002-03 142,514 93,783 35,849 6,317 6,172 284,635 
			 2003-04 124,974 84,952 29,988 6,326 1,025 247,265 
			 2004-05 125,469 88,975 30,180 7,380 1,919 253,923 
			 2005-06 147,995 107,175 39,382 10,338 4,127 309,017 
		
	
	
		
			  City of London Police: 'Stop and search' by ethnicity, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  Number 
			   Ethnic appearance of person searched 
			   White  Black  Asian  Other  Not known/recorded  Total 
			 2001-02 2,075 846 559 186 78 3,744 
			 2002-03 5,859 1,526 1,262 622 0 9,269 
			 2003-04 7,624 1,756 1,422 430 1,242 12,474 
			 2004-05 8,727 1,869 1,544 445 1,295 13,880 
			 2005-06 9,085 2,358 2,593 327 64 14,427 
			  Note:  Police officers have the power to stop and search individuals under a range of legislation, including section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) as well as section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 44 information was not collected until 2002-03.   Source and quality:  These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Television

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what premium Sky, digital terrestrial or cable television channels  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies subscribes; and at what cost in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office estate in 2 Marsham Street has two TV feeds:
	(a) One via satellite that can access "free to air" service for all channels used. There is no cost to this service.
	(b) One via cable from the Palace of Westminster. This provides:
	Division Bell overlay used by the Secretary and Ministers of State to advise when their attendance is required to vote;
	Parliamentary channels not available to the general public derived from the Palace itself (e.g. live feeds from both chambers and Westminster Hall); and other channels as part of the package, but these are not itemised individually.
	The charge for the cable service is £12,500 per annum plus £1,500 for annual line maintenance between the Palace of Westminster and 2 Marsham Street.
	Beyond the 2 Marsham Street estate, individual business areas are able to buy their own television and cable equipment and subscriptions and there is no centralised record of such services purchased by the agencies of the Department.

Terrorism: Detainees

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where suspects are held under the provisions of counter-terrorism legislation in pre-charge detention; whether they are allowed to see family visitors; whether they are allowed access to print, visual and online media; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: PACE code H which covers the detention, treatment and questioning by police officers of persons under section 41 of, and schedule 8 to, the Terrorism Act 2000 states that:
	(i) Where a warrant is issued which authorises detention beyond a period of 14 days from the time of arrest, the detainee must be transferred from detention in a police station to detention in a designated prison unless the detained person requests to be detained in a police station and this can be accommodated or there are reasonable grounds for believing that transferring the person to prison may hinder a terrorism investigation, delay the charge or release of the individual or otherwise prevent the investigation from proceeding efficiently and expeditiously (para 14.5).
	(ii) If the detainee agrees, they may receive visits from friends, family or others likely to take an interest in their welfare, at the custody officer's discretion (para 5.4)
	(iii) The detainee shall be given writing materials, on request, and allowed to telephone one person for a reasonable period of time at the discretion of an inspector or above (para 5.6).
	These codes can be found at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/powers-pace-codes/pace-code-intro/

UK Border Agency: Stationery

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency and its predecessors spent on  (a) branded and  (b) non-branded stationery in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Annual spend by the UK Border Agency and its predecessors is included within the Department's expenditure on  (a) branded and  (b) non-branded stationery. For information on the Department's expenditure on these items, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 June 2008,  Official  R eport, column 471W. Discrete spend for the UK Border Agency and its predecessors on  (a) branded and  (b) non-branded stationery was not separately recorded and to provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Work Permits

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many holders of work permits were given indefinite leave to remain in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 June 2008
	The requested information on work permit holders granted indefinite leave to remain (settlement) is published in Table 5.3 in the Home Office Command Paper 'Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2006' which is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-publications.html.
	Data for 2007 are due to be published in August.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer Question 203949 tabled on 30 April 2008, on counter-terrorism.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 June 2008
	 I replied to my right hon. Friend on 16 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 685-86W.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Crimes of Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency staff were hospitalised as a result of being assaulted while on duty in each of the last three years, broken down by region.

Ann Keen: This information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	For information on reported physical assaults I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) on 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1654W.

Air Ambulance Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 744W, on air ambulance services, which air ambulance personnel may be classified as qualified clinical staff.

Ben Bradshaw: It is our understanding that clinical staffing arrangements on air ambulances vary considerably from charity to charity, with different combinations of paramedics, doctors, and technicians on board. It will be for the national health service and air ambulance charities to agree which staff should be funded by the NHS.

Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on the Know Your Limits campaign; and what  (a) mechanisms,  (b) baselines and  (c) targets have been established to measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Dawn Primarolo: On 19 May 2008, the Government launched the first major advertising campaign to raise awareness about units and to help people to estimate how much alcohol they drink. The Government will spend £10 million this year on national alcohol campaigns.
	We have a number of tools in place to evaluate the effectiveness of the Know Your Limits (KYL) campaign:
	throughout the campaign's development we have tested potential messaging in independent qualitative creative development research to ensure creative material engages and resonates with the target audience;
	we have quantitative campaign tracking research in place which will measure pre to post shifts in awareness, understanding, attitudes and motivations towards alcohol consumption in response to the campaign and will continue to measure these factors throughout the campaign's life. We will be able to benchmark these results against other Government campaigns when establishing targets; and
	the campaign will also be evaluated in terms of how effectively it generates responses and requests for further information and advice through online, phone and face to face services. These data will again be benchmarked against other Government campaigns to aid target setting.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many primary care trusts in  (a) Cambridgeshire and  (b) the east of England are the Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers best practice guidelines being implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not centrally held.
	The responsibility for implementing Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers (MoCAM) lies with individual primary care trusts. The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this locally.

Ambulance Services: Fuels

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the supply of fuel to ambulances during the strike by fuel supply drivers.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received only one representation on the subject of fuel for ambulances during the fuel tanker drivers' strike. This was a parliamentary question received from the hon. Member.

Antidepressants

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out by his Department to establish the long-term effects of Prozac and related drugs on mental health.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not commissioned research into the long-term effects of Prozac and other related drugs on mental health.

Cancer: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what unit cost the NHS pays for the drug cetuximab; what price for cetuximab it charges patients being seen privately in an NHS setting; and what estimate he has made of the full market price per unit.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 12 June 2008
	 As listed in the "British National Formulary", hospitals purchasing cetuximab pay the following prices:
	
		
			   £ 
			 100 milligram (mg)/50 millilitre (ml) vial 136.50 
			 100 mg/20 ml vial 136.50 
			 500 mg/100 ml vial 682.50 
		
	
	The Department does not hold information on charges made by the national health service to private patients.

Care Quality Commission

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers he plans for the Care Quality Commission to have to conduct topic-based studies into specific aspects of health and social care.

Ben Bradshaw: Clause 44 of the Health and Social Care Bill makes provision for the Care Quality Commission to carry out special reviews and investigations.

Carers

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health impact on carers of balancing work with care responsibilities; if he will assess the merits of the introduction of a care voucher scheme, similar to that in operation for child care; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: In April 2003, the Government introduced a new right for parents of children up to six and disabled children up to 18, to request flexible working and put a duty on the employer to consider their request seriously. The Work and Families Act 2006 extended this right to carers of adults from April 2007. Most carers will be given the right to request to vary their contract of employment to enable them more flexibility to carry out their out of work responsibilities.
	Last week, we published the new cross-government carers' strategy. This included significant new measures to enable carers to be better able to combine paid employment with their caring role through enhanced flexible working opportunities and increased skills training opportunities. The strategy announced some £38 million of new investment to help deliver these commitments.
	We will be working with employers to develop and disseminate a good practice guide for supporting carers in the workplace—a guide that will not only considerably help individual carers themselves, but which will also point up the strong economic argument for enabling employers to retain the valuable skills that their employees have developed over time.

Carers: Wales

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Welsh Assembly Government on the implementation of the National Carers Strategy.

Ivan Lewis: The health, social care and young carer elements in the National Carers Strategy—'Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities: A caring system on your side. A life of your own', are relevant to the England only—although all issues pertaining to benefits and income are applicable United Kingdom-wide. Copies of this publication are available in the Library. We are working closely with all our partners in the devolved Administrations who are also reviewing their policies and strategies around carers.

CJD

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned or evaluated on  (a) the origins,  (b) a cure and  (c) the potential incubation period of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Dawn Primarolo: In 1990 the Department established the National Surveillance Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Unit (NCJDSU), which we continue to fund. The NCJDSU monitors all cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in the United Kingdom in order to investigate each case by clinical examination, clinical investigations, neuropathological examination, genetic analysis, molecular biological studies, collecting basic epidemiological data and carrying out a case-control study to:
	provide accurate data on the incidence of CJD, including variant CJD (vCJD);
	investigate risk factors for CJD, including vCJD;
	identify the mechanism of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to the human population;
	provide estimates of short-term and long-term trends in the rate of occurrence of vCJD;
	evaluate the potential risks of onward transmission of vCJD, including through iatrogenic routes;
	identify any novel forms of human spongiform encephalopathy;
	evaluate case definitions of CJD, including vCJD; and
	evaluate diagnostic tests for CJD, including vCJD.
	The NCJDSU's annual reports which include evaluations of the origin and potential incubation period of vCJD are available at
	www.cjd.ed.ac.uk.
	The Department also has a ring-fenced budget for commissioning variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease research. The funded programme of current studies and projects, including those studies which are complete and await formal closure, includes the following of relevance to origins, cure and incubation period:
	 Project title
	Assessing the Feasibility of accessing dental case records for detailed dental histories in CJD cases and controls
	Conditional expression of PrP in the gut of transgenic mice to investigate the uptake of infectivity in the gut in the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)
	Examination of the potential for transmission of vCJD through dentistry
	Investigating dental treatment as a possible risk factor for vCJD
	Investigation into transmissibility of TSEs via blood
	National Prion monitoring cohort
	Predicting future numbers of cases of vCJD
	Retrospective review of CJD and related disorders
	Surveillance for asymptomatic Prion infection in primary immunodeficiency patients exposed to UK sourced immunoglobulin
	The effect of Leucodepletion on transmission of BSE by transfusion of sheep blood components
	To undertake prospective multisource surveillance for all cases of progressive intellectual and neurological deterioration (PIND) occurring in children in the UK
	Transfusion medicine epidemiology review (TMER)
	vCJD tissue infectivity studies
	Investigation of Pentosan Polysulphate as a potential prophylactic agent against the transmission of vCJD by blood products
	Prion 1 clinical trial: Quinacrine for human Prion disease
	Strategies to inhibit neurodegeneration in Prion disease
	The development of an effective treatment for Prion infection of humans.
	Past studies commissioned by the Department are included in the Medical Research Council's (MRCs) UK TSE Portfolio which is available at:
	www.mrc.ac.uk/OurResearch/ResearchPortfolios/TSE/UKTSEPortfolio/index.htm
	which contains details of TSE research supported by the major UK public funders: the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency, the MRC and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
	As a joint funder of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) the Department has considered the studies set out in the list of scientific papers supplied to SEAC available at
	www.seac.gov.uk/papers/references.htm

CJD

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease were diagnosed in  (a) humans and  (b) animals in each of the last five years; and what the identified cause of infection was in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: Figures provided by the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit show the following number of patients received a diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in the last five years:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003 16 
			 2004 8 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 6 
			 2007 1 
			 2008 (to 16 June) 1 
		
	
	In three cases, one in 2003 and two in 2006, the diagnosed patients are thought to have been infected by blood transfusions from donors who later went on to develop vCJD. In all other cases the presumed route of infection is thought to be dietary.
	There are no cases of vCJD in animals.

Departmental Consultants

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) self-employed staff and  (b) outside contractors were employed in his Department in each year since 2004; and how much was spent on each category in each of those years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department employs temporary staff for a variety of reasons, including:
	to cover short-term vacancies, such as the need for administrative support;
	to fill posts temporarily because they are likely to be relocated or because structural changes are being implemented; and
	to provide skills that the Department does not have but needs urgently and/or on a short-term basis.
	It does not separately identify numbers or costs of self employed staff and outside contractors.
	On numbers, the quality and coverage of information held historically by the Department on temporary workers has been limited. We have therefore been working over the past year to improve our recording, in preparation for the launch of a new human resources and finance system this summer. We think that some of our historic numbers may slightly underestimate actual levels. Recent quarterly figures are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Date  Number 
			 31 December 2006(1) 222 
			 31 March 2007 179 
			 30 June 2007 176 
			 30 September 2007 165 
			 31 December 2007 141 
			 31 March 2008 152 
			 (1) Figures are not available before December 2006. 
		
	
	On costs, financial year figures since April 2004 are shown as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2004-05 12,800 
			 2005-06 6,000 
			 2006-07 7,126 
			 2007-08 9,742 
			  Note: The 2006-07 figure is based on a scaling up of expenditure in the first 11 months of the year. The 2007-08 figure is based on a detailed analysis of expenditure in March 2008 and assumes the same level of monthly expenditure was incurred throughout the year.

Departmental Information Officers

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press, information and news officers are employed  (a) by his Department (i) centrally and (ii) in the regions and  (b) by each primary care trust,  (c) by each hospital and  (d) by agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible.

Ben Bradshaw: A return on the number and cost of press officers in the Department's Media Centre is published at the end of each financial year. At the end of the financial year 2007-08 the number of press officers was 28.
	The Department does not employ any information officers or press officers in the regions, primary care trusts (PCTs) or hospitals. Figures for numbers of information officers or press officers employed by regions, PCTs or hospitals are not collected centrally.
	The Department has two Executive agencies. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency does not employ press officers, and media services are supplied by the Department's Media Centre. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has employed three press officers since it was set up in 2005-06.
	Information on the breakdown of staffing and costs of non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.

Departmental Manpower

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) permanent civil service posts,  (b) permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) temporary or agency workers in employment in his Department there were in each month since May 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department employs permanent and temporary civil servants, and temporary non-civil servants. Temporary staff are employed for a variety of reasons, including:
	to cover short-term vacancies, such as the need for administrative support;
	to fill posts temporarily because they are likely to be relocated or because structural changes are being implemented; and
	to provide skills that the Department does not have but needs urgently and/or on a short-term basis.
	The Department does not report numbers of permanent and temporary civil servants monthly. Quarterly figures (full-time equivalent numbers) are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Date  Permanent  Temporary  Total 
			  2005
			 30 June 2,237 72 2,310 
			 30 September 2,274 59 2,333 
			 31 December 2,323 72 2,395 
			  2006
			 31 March 2,321 66 2,387 
			 30 June 2,225 54 2,279 
			 30 September 2,260 47 2,307 
			 31 December 2,256 45 2,301 
			  2007
			 31 March 2,251 37 2,288 
			 30 June 2,231 36 2,267 
			 30 September 2,148 32 2,181 
			 31 December 2,151 38 2,189 
			  2008
			 31 March 2,161 42 2,203 
			  Note:  Some totals do not exactly match the sum of permanent and temporary due to rounding. 
		
	
	The quality and coverage of information held historically by the Department on temporary or agency workers has been limited. We have therefore been working over the past year to improve our recording, in preparation for the launch of a new human resources and finance system this summer. We think that some of our historic numbers may slightly underestimate actual levels. Recent quarterly figures are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Date  Number 
			  2006  
			 31 December 222 
			  2007  
			 31 March 179 
			 30 June 176 
			 30 September 165 
			 31 December 141 
			  2008  
			 31 March 152 
			  Notes:  Figures are not available before December 2006.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many special advisers are employed in his Department; and what the aggregate employment cost of special advisers in his Department is on an annualised basis.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department currently employs two special advisers. Their aggregate annual salary cost is £125,256.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of  (a) salaries for permanent Civil Service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-Civil Service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in his Department was in each month since May 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department employs permanent and temporary civil servants, and temporary non-civil servants. Temporary staff are employed for a variety of reasons, including to cover short-term vacancies, such as the need for administrative support; to fill posts temporarily because they are likely to be relocated or because structural changes are being implemented; and to provide skills that the Department does not have but needs urgently and/or on a short-term basis.
	Salaries for permanent and temporary civil servants for each month since May 2005 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £000 
			  2005  
			 May 9,262 
			 June 9,434 
			 July 10,462 
			 August 9,716 
			 September 9,898 
			 October 9,801 
			 November 10,966 
			 December 11,299 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 8,678 
			 February 10,351 
			 March 10,488 
			 April 8,524 
			 May 8,494 
			 June 8,413 
			 July 9,843 
			 August 8,734 
			 September 8,647 
			 October 8,387 
			 November 8,444 
			 December 9,733 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 8,793 
			 February 8,488 
			 March 8,833 
			 April 8,578 
			 May 8,512 
			 June 8,431 
			 July 8,696 
			 August 8,667 
			 September 8,426 
			 October 8,499 
			 November 10,225 
			 December 8,670 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 8,784 
			 February 8,581 
			 March 8,623 
			  Note:  The information represents actual payments each month and includes basic pay, allowances, overtime and bonuses for all staff on the payroll. It includes people on secondment to other organisations but not those on secondment to the Department. It does not include employer's costs for national insurance and pensions. Amounts for permanent and temporary civil servants cannot be identified separately. Figures can on occasions vary significantly from month to month, often because of the timing of the implementation of pay awards and the payment of arrears. 
		
	
	The Department does not employ permanent non-civil servants.
	For temporary and agency workers, financial year figures since April 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2005-06 6,000 
			 2006-07 7,126 
			 2007-08 9,742 
			  Note:  The 2006-07 figure is based on a scaling up of expenditure in the first 11 months of the year. The 2007-08 figure is based on a detailed analysis of expenditure in March 2008 and assumes the same level of monthly expenditure was incurred throughout the year.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on training courses for staff in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Spending on training courses by the Department and its agencies over the last 12 months and the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Last 12 months  Last five years 
			 The Department 1,312,256 n/a 
			 Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 751,000 3,973,000 
			 NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency 148,670 1,064,260 
			  Note:  The Department has insufficient data available to provide an accurate figure for the last five years. The Department's figure for the last 12 months covers corporate training only. There was local expenditure in addition to this. Information on this is not held centrally and to gather it would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental Working Hours

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 April 2008,  Official Report, column 446W, on departmental working hours, for how long contracted hours have differed for staff within and outside London; and what the reasons were for the different contracts.

Ben Bradshaw: Until the mid-1990s the working hours of staff within and outside London were common across all Government Departments. The shorter number of contracted hours in London was in recognition of generally longer travelling to work times. Since then Government Departments have taken on responsibility for deciding on many aspects of the terms and conditions of their staff, but the Department has retained the previous civil service wide arrangements on working hours.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was between referral and treatment for drug treatment programmes in each primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Waiting times in the drug treatment system in England is not available over the last five years. Published data prior to April 2006 reported average waiting times, but since then published data have reported the numbers of clients in structured drug treatment (as a percentage of the total treatment population) who wait three weeks or less.
	During 2006-07, 89 per cent. of service users of the drug treatment system in England waited three weeks or less to access specialist drug treatment.(1)
	Waiting time targets for each drug action team area in England and their performance against these are available in each area's annual treatment plan which are available at www.nta.nhs.uk. These data are presented in the form of the percentage of drug treatment clients who accessed the treatment they required within three weeks of assessment.
	(1 ) Source:
	National Treatment Agency 2006-07 Annual Report.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients  (a) under 18 and  (b) 18 and over were referred to drug treatment centres in each of the last five years, broken down by strategic health authority area of residence.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on referrals are not collected centrally.
	However, published annual data on the numbers of clients in specialist drug treatment services in England by age (under 18 and 18 and over) for the four years between 2003-04 and 2006-07 are provided in the following tables. Data are not yet available for 2007-08.
	Changes in the boundaries of some strategic health authority areas (SHA) in recent years, do not allow direct comparisons of drug treatment data over time by SHA area. Published information on clients attending specialist drug treatment services in England is routinely presented either as a national figure or by local drug action team/partnerships areas, which are co-terminus with local authority areas.
	
		
			  Age of clients in treatment, between 2003-04 and 2006-07 
			  Age range  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Under 18s 6,536 8,851 11,917 13,680 
			 Over 18s 119,009 151,602 165,138 181,784 
			 Total 125,545 160,453 177,055 195,464 
			  Note:  The increase in young people appearing in the drug treatment numbers reflects an increase in treatment capacity and accuracy in reporting rather than an increase in the incidence of young people developing substance misuse dependency.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist youth drug dependency workers in each strategic health authority area there are; and how many there were in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not collect information on the numbers of specialist youth drug dependency workers employed in England.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1072W, on the Fairtrade initiative, how much his Department spent on refreshments for official departmental meetings and engagements in each of the last three financial years; and what percentage of this total was spent on Fairtrade products.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department spent the following on refreshments for official meetings and engagements during the last three years:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 674,087 
			 2006-07 833,129 
			 2007-08 695,682 
		
	
	The Department does not supply any Fairtrade products for refreshments for official meetings and engagements.

Food Standards Agency: Overseas Visits

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Food Standards Agency spent on international travel and accommodation to outline and promote its multiple traffic light labelling scheme in each of the last two years

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency spent £380 in 2006-07 and £4,835 in 2007-08 on international travel and accommodation to outline and promote multiple traffic light labelling.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1673-74W, on general practitioners, 
	(1)  whether officials in his Department conducted trials of different weightings;
	(2)  what weighting was given to each of the individual measures within each of the three indicators;
	(3)  what the basis was for the decision to weight the different indicators in this way.

Ben Bradshaw: Officials in the Department worked with the national health service to identify the range of indicators that best determined those primary care trusts (PCTs) with greatest needs. The weighting agreed reflects discussions held with the NHS to ensure the new investment to procure additional capacity would not result in an increase in resources in areas that already had above the national average number of primary medical care clinicians within the PCT. The following table shows the weightings given to the individual numbers.
	
		
			  General practitioner (GP)-led health centres—indictors and weightings used to determine PCTs with the poorest provision 
			  Indicator  Weighting total 100 per cent. 
			  Primary care capacity  
			 Whole-time equivalent (Wte) GPs per 10,000 weighted population 30 
			 Wte practice nurses per 10,000 weighted population 30 
			   
			  Health outcomes  
			 Male life expectancy 4.29 
			 Female life expectancy 4.29 
			 Cancer mortality among under 65s 4.29 
			 Cardiovascular mortality among under 75s 4.29 
			 Index of multiple deprivation (health) 4.29 
			 Percentage of patients with diabetes in whose HbA1c is 7.5 or less 4.29 
			 Percentage of patients with hypertension in whose blood pressure reading is 150/90 or less 4.29 
			   
			  Patient satisfaction  
			 Percentage patients seen within 48 hours 2 
			 Percentage patients able to book an appointment more than two days ahead 2 
			 Percentage patients satisfied with their practice telephone system 2 
			 Percentage patients able to see a specific GP 2 
			 Percentage patients satisfied with practice opening hours 2

General Practitioners: Shropshire

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold discussions with Shropshire GPs on proposals to introduce polyclinics.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government do not have any policy proposals to develop polyclinics. The Government are investing £250 million to introduce 152 general practitioner (GP)-led health centres to improve access and responsiveness, and 100 new GP practices in under-served areas. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to set out their proposals for these new GP-led health centres following consultation with patients, GPs and others, which focus on local needs and preferences. Local PCTs are ensuring strong public and clinical engagement when making decisions on the location and range of the services to be procured locally and Shropshire GPs should be engaging with their local PCT on these matters.

Health Education: First Aid

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which ambulance services are working in partnership with local authorities to provide first aid training for school pupils; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not collected centrally.

Health Education: Skin Cancer

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of skin cancer awareness programmes; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much was spent on skin cancer awareness programmes by his Department in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: SunSmart, run by Cancer Research UK on behalf of the United Kingdom Health Departments is the UK's national skin cancer prevention campaign. It provides information about skin cancer and sun protection for the public and professionals. Surveys carried out since the campaign's launch in 2003 show progress, for example evidence of increased public knowledge about risk factors for skin cancer.
	The Department of Health in England contributed funding of around £100,000 towards the launching of the SunSmart campaign in March 2003. The campaign has received further funding in the last four financial years as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 72,000 
			 2005-06 145,000 
			 2006-07 150,000 
			 2007-08 104,000

Hospitals: Admissions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) children aged under 16 years,  (b) persons aged 16 to 18 years,  (c) persons aged 18 to 65 years and  (d) persons aged over 65 years were admitted to hospital in each strategic health authority in each of the last five years with a primary or secondary cause of admissions listed as (i) sunburn, (ii) sunstroke and (iii) dehydration in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information has been placed in the Library which shows the number of hospital admissions for which sunburn, effects of heat and light (which includes sunstroke), and volume depletion (i.e. dehydration) are recorded as either primary or secondary diagnoses, by strategic health authority of treatment and age group.

Hospitals: Transport

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues on the responsibility of primary care and NHS trusts to consult  (a) the public and  (b) voluntary organisations on possible changes in patient transport services arising from the reconfiguration of hospitals and other services.

Ann Keen: This is a matter for the local NHS.
	On 9 May 2008,the Department of Health published "Changing for the Better: guidance when undertaking major change in the NHS". This recommends that, alongside proposals for service change, the local national health service publishes a business case setting out the clinical and patient benefits and that such options should also include a detailed analysis of the impact on travelling times and distances, identifying the impact on pedestrians and public and private transport users as well as the ambulance service.
	Copies of this guidance have been placed in the Library and are also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_084674

Magnetic Resonance Imagers

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many magnetic resonance imaging scanners were purchased from  (a) UK and  (b) non-UK companies by the NHS in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2006 and (iv) 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect data on the purchase of magnetic resonance imaging scanners centrally.
	There are four main suppliers of scanners in the United Kingdom market and are all subsidiaries of multi-national organisations:
	Siemens Medical Solutions;
	Toshiba Medical Systems;
	Philips Healthcare; and
	GE Healthcare.

Medical Records

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department will not publish the legal guidance provided to the Department relating to the report of the ministerial working party into the summary care record chaired by Lord Warner.

Ben Bradshaw: The legal advice in question relates to the substance of our proposals for the creation of the summary care record rather than to the report of the working party. It is covered by legal professional privilege, which provides grounds, recognised in an exemption under section 42 of the Freedom of Information Act, for not disclosing communications between a public authority and its legal advisers where this would not be in the public interest.
	Legal privilege is an essential feature of the solicitor/client relationship in that it allows frank and fully-informed analysis of risk to be made prior to undertaking a particular course of action. We have taken the view that there is a very strong public interest in maintaining that principle in this case.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent information recorded on the secondary users database being used in ways which may be detrimental to the person to whom the information relates.

Ben Bradshaw: Legislative proposals are unnecessary since information managed within the Secondary Uses Service (SUS) will be no more likely to be used in ways detrimental to the patient to whom it relates than that held elsewhere in the NHS Care Records Service, or that which was previously held in the pre-existing secondary uses services provided at local, regional and national level in the national health service.
	Information held on SUS will be anonymised or pseudonymised to remove information that could be used to identify individuals but still allow cases to be tracked and linked, for example for research.
	The terms and conditions on the uses of SUS data will include limitations on the disclosure of the data to third parties and the copying of data, and termination and liability clauses in the event of unauthorised disclosure of personally-identifiable information. There will also be a right of audit to verify adherence to the terms and conditions, which will be the key condition determining permission to access for those wishing to use the service.
	These measures will safeguard the confidentiality of information about patients, while supporting and facilitating the use of information for the purposes for which SUS exists.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether clinicians will have an obligation to maintain a record of their dealings with patients on  (a) any component of the national care records database or  (b) a record which will be copied to a component of the database.

Ben Bradshaw: There is an obligation on doctors from their professional bodies to keep clear, accurate, legible and contemporaneous patient records. We have not put any specific obligation on clinicians to maintain records on the patient's summary care record (SCR) but have encouraged them to include those components relating to current medications, and any allergies or adverse reactions to medications. However, patients can request that all or some of that information is not uploaded to the SCR.
	It is possible that individual national health service organisations may require employed clinicians to use the system provided by the organisation for clinical record keeping, which could be part of the National Care Records System, since it may not be possible to provide some forms of care without information, for example digital images, which will be captured solely on the new systems.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which NHS staff other than those based at the surgery at which the record was created will be able to access information in detailed care records directly;
	(2)  whether each patient's medical records will be recorded by the national care records service within a single detailed care record; and whether such detailed care records will be accessible by anyone in healthcare establishments other than those within which they were recorded.

Ben Bradshaw: Detailed care record systems are being deployed under the local direction of health communities to suit the needs of those communities. While it is possible that a patient will have a single detailed care record this may not always be the case. Patients with complex conditions or who receive care in different locations are likely to have a number of detailed care records.
	Individuals from outside the general practitioner's practice or national health service trust where a patient's detailed care record was created will only be able to access the record where they are working within a local health community where patient records are managed through a shared detailed record system and where they have a smartcard and role profile that enables access to patient records. Staff must also have a legitimate relationship with the patient, for example because they are providing healthcare or treatment in a different setting, or they have express consent from the patient for other reasons, for example clinical research, or there is a statutory basis or court order supporting disclosure.

Medical Treatments: Finance

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to require primary care trusts (PCTs) to establish formal mechanisms to receive and consider applications from patients and clinicians for treatments not usually funded by the PCT;
	(2)  if he will issue guidance to primary care trusts (PCTs) on exceptional case processes setting out best practice on  (a) appeals,  (b) liaison with patient advice and liaison services and  (c) training for exceptional case committee members; if he will direct PCTs to publish data on the processing of exceptional cases; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he plans to issue national guidance on the obligations on primary care trusts in relation to the process of allowing applications from patients and clinicians for treatments that are not routinely funded by a primary care trust;
	(4)  what his policy is on whether all primary care trusts (PCTs) should use the same criteria to determine whether funding should be granted for treatments that a PCT does not usually fund;
	(5)  what his policy is on whether primary care trusts should have a formalised process for considering applications by patients and clinicians for treatments which are not usually funded by the primary care trust; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  whether he plans to issue national guidance on the obligations on primary care trusts in relation to the processes for applications from patients and clinicians for treatments that are not routinely funded by a primary care trust;
	(7)  if he will  (a) ensure that all primary care trusts (PCTs) publish their exceptional case process, including their appeals process, on their websites and through local Patient Advice and Liaison Services offices,  (b) support PCTs in the provision of training to all members of exceptional case committees and  (c) collect data on the number of exceptional cases heard, approved or declined and for which therapy in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission services on behalf of their populations and to make decisions locally on which treatments to fund, taking into account all relevant circumstances and their statutory responsibilities and the principles of administrative law set out by the courts, particularly in relation to funding policies and whether to fund treatment in exceptional circumstances. The Government expect PCTs to have in place appropriate processes for reaching decisions on applications for treatments that are not normally funded, and to ensure that information on these processes is available to patients and clinicians, but the details and operation of such processes are for local determination.

Migraine

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on research into the treatment of migraine in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department's total expenditure on health research has been devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual NHS supported research projects undertaken during that time, including a number concerned with migraine, are available on the archived national research register at:
	https://portal.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchiveSearch.aspx
	Implementation of the Department's research strategy "Best Research for Best Health" (copies of this publication are available in the Library) and the establishment of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has resulted in an expansion of our research programmes and in significant new funding opportunities. The NIHR funded University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre is for example undertaking research on headache and pain. A five-year budget of £3.7 million has been allocated to this work.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. The MRC, an independent body, receives its grant-in-aid from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
	Since 1998 the MRC has funded three research projects relevant to migraine, at a total cost of £1.7 million.

NHS: Drugs

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the NHS of prescribing the drug Vioxx was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  if the Government will review the use of drugs produced by Merck Sharpe & Dohme Ltd;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of treating those with health impairments resulting from the use of Vioxx;
	(4)  whether alternative suppliers or a suitable alternative exist for each of the drugs, or a suitable alternative supplied to the NHS by Merck, Sharpe & Dohme;
	(5)  how much the NHS spent on drugs supplied by Merck, Sharpe & Dohme in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2007, the net ingredient cost of Vioxx (rofecoxib) prescription items dispensed in England was £357.00(1).
	Of a total of 39 chemical products listed on the Prescription Cost Analysis system (PCA) as manufactured by Merck, Sharpe and Dohme and dispensed in the community, 15 had no alternative manufacturer.
	The net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed in the community and in hospitals in England, which are listed as manufactured by Merck, Sharpe and Dohme are shown in the table.
	(1) Source: PCA.
	
		
			  Net ingredient cost of products manufactured by Merck, Sharpe and Dohme 
			  £ million 
			   Dispensed in community  Dispensed in hospitals  Total 
			 2003 365 28 393 
			 2004 311 26 337 
			 2005 228 24 252 
			 2006 239 26 265 
			 2007 253 29 282 
			  Sources: PCA IMS Health: Hospital Pharmacy Audit 
		
	
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously monitors the safety of all medicines in the United Kingdom. The Department has no plans to take additional measures to review separately the use of medicines manufactured by the company. Nor has it made any estimate of the cost to the national health service of treating people whose health has been adversely affected as a result of being prescribed Vioxx.

NHS: Finance

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) budget control targets and  (b) outturns were for each primary care trust in London for 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: Based on national health service projections, the Department agreed financial performance ranges with each of the strategic health authorities (SHAs). It did not agree individual control totals with organisations below the SHA tier.
	The draft, unaudited accounts for the primary care trusts within London strategic health economy are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Organisation name  2007-08 draft accounts surplus/(deficit)  £000 
			 Havering PCT 285 
			 Kingston PCT 3,558 
			 Bromley PCT 49 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 1,480 
			 Barnet PCT 3,031 
			 Hillingdon PCT 0 
			 Enfield PCT (13,308) 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 20,687 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 9,480 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 396 
			 Newham PCT 3,318 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 539 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 9,878 
			 Ealing PCT 4,164 
			 Hounslow PCT (1,943) 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 1,698 
			 Harrow PCT 172 
			 Camden PCT 3,854 
			 Islington PCT 35 
			 Croydon PCT 2,600 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 6,169 
			 Westminster PCT 11,895 
			 Lambeth PCT 1,079 
			 Southwark PCT 478 
			 Lewisham PCT 92 
			 Wandsworth PCT 3,399 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 150 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 58 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 102 
			 Redbridge PCT 18,664 
			 Bexley Care PCT 52

NHS: Finance

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance and advice his Department gave to London primary care trusts in the event of exceeding their budget control targets for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Based on national health service projections, the Department agreed financial performance ranges with each of the strategic health authorities (SHAs). It did not agree individual control totals with organisations below the SHA tier.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to replace Fujitsu with an  (a) existing and  (b) new Local Service Provider.

Ben Bradshaw: A decision will be taken in due course. Meanwhile, work is underway to ensure a smooth transition to alternative arrangements. Fujitsu will continue to support information technology systems and services already provided to the national health service. New systems and services will be delivered either through existing suppliers or through a new framework contract that has been set up to deal with such situations. Final decisions will take into account the preferences and business cases of local NHS bodies.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons a contractual termination notice was issued to Fujitsu.

Ben Bradshaw: The contractual termination notice was issued because of failure to meet key contractual milestones and to provide an acceptable remediation plan. Since payment for systems and services is only made when they are delivered and are deemed to be satisfactory, the taxpayer's interests have been protected in this case.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he expects the total annual  (a) capital and  (b) revenue expenditure on NHS information technology to be once the National Programme for IT in the NHS is complete.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service budgets for years beyond 2010-11 are dependent on the outcome of future spending reviews. It is therefore not possible to make meaningful estimates of the kind requested.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he expects the annual recurrent  (a) capital and  (b) revenue costs of (i) the National Network for the NHS (N3), (ii) the National Data Spine, (iii) the Care Records Service, (iv) HealthSpace, (v) Choose and Book, (vi) the Electronic Prescription Service, (vii) NHSmail, (viii) the Quality Management and Analysis System, (ix) the NHS Connecting for Health Service Desk and (x) the Picture Archiving and Communications Systems to be once the current contracts have been completed.

Ben Bradshaw: These costs will depend on the outcome of future procurement decisions and contract negotiations, and for that reason it is not possible to make meaningful estimates of the kind requested.

NHS: Performance Appraisal

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what systems and procedures are in place for the performance management of NHS local commissioners.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts (PCTs) commission health services on behalf of their local population, and are performance managed by strategic health authorities (SHAs). The Department launched a nationally consistent commissioning assurance system in June 2008 to strengthen performance management of PCT commissioning. This system will be managed locally by the SHAs, and will hold PCTs to account for commissioning and reward improved performance against three areas of commissioning—health outcomes, commissioning competencies and board governance. Detailed information about commissioning assurance is provided in the 'Commissioning Assurance Handbook'. Copies of the handbook have been placed in the Library.

Personal Care Services: Health Hazards

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the health risks of  (a) botox treatment,  (b) dental whitening,  (c) spray tanning,  (d) ultra-violet tanning,  (e) tattooing,  (f) piercing,  (g) acupuncture and  (h) electrolysis for (i) staff and (ii) customers of establishments carrying out such treatments.

Ben Bradshaw: Very occasionally patients who receive botulinum toxin injections in the forehead experience a drooping of the eyelids or eyebrows, although this is temporary and will resolve itself when the effects of botulinum toxin wear off. Double vision or blurred vision can occur in rare cases.
	In respect of dental whitening, the use of tooth whitening products containing over 0.1 per cent. hydrogen peroxide may carry risks to health these are the irritation of the soft tissues in the mouth and in the gastric tract if swallowed. Conditions such as a pre-existing tissue injury or the concurrent use of alcohol and/or tobacco, may exacerbate the toxic effect of hydrogen peroxide.
	The use of fake tanning sprays may cause allergic reactions for some people and their use is not advised during pregnancy when the skin can become more sensitive. The Government strongly discourage the use of ultra-violet tanning for cosmetic purposes because of the increased risk of skin cancer.
	Health complications for clients arising from tattooing, piercing, acupuncture and electrolysis are usually minor and self-limiting, such as local wound infections and swelling. Serious complications appear rare. There is a risk of blood-borne virus infection for staff and customers, if the procedures are not carried out hygienically. Customers with certain health conditions, such as for example a heart condition, should seek medical advice before having such procedures undertaken.
	No professional assessment has been made regarding the effects on staff who carry out these treatments.

Prostate Cancer: Health Services

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage change there has been in Government funding for treatment for prostate cancer in the last 10 years; and how many nurses specialising in prostate problems have been recruited.

Ann Keen: The information on funding is not available. In 2006-07, the national health service spent approximately £4.35 billion on cancer services in England, of which £414 million was spent on urological cancer services. NHS expenditure on prostate cancer cannot be separately identified.
	Information on the number of prostate nurses is not held centrally. It is for cancer networks to work in partnership with strategic health authorities and work force development directorates to assess, plan and review their work force needs.

Skin Piercing: Standards

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to address the trend in people purchasing home piercing kits rather than approaching regulated clinics following the recent report by the Health Protection Agency.

Dawn Primarolo: The research by the Health Protection Agency, which the Department funded, indicates that nearly 90 per cent. of cosmetic piercings were carried out in specialist piercing shops, other shops or by mobile piercers. Cosmetic piercing that is carried out for gain on domestic premises is subject to local authority regulation. We keep the issue of home cosmetic piercing kits under review.

Warfarin

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many primary care trust areas doctors have decided to discontinue the provision of Warfarin testing facilities.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. Specific services provided in general practice for patients on Warfarin, are commissioned locally and it is for local national health service providers to decide how to deliver services to patients.

Welsh Language

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the level of demand for the services provided by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental bodies to be provided in the Welsh language; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has made no assessment of the level of demand for its services to be provided in the Welsh language. Agencies, non-departmental bodies and national health service organisations should take into account the demand for language and translation services when planning the needs and circumstances of their local populations.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Freedom of Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests to the Cabinet Office have not yet received a substantive decision owing to an on-going consideration of public interest issues, where the original request was made  (a) 20 or more working days,  (b) six or more months and  (c) 12 or more months ago.

Edward Miliband: The Ministry of Justice has published three annual reports containing statistical information on freedom of information requests received by monitored bodies (including central Government Departments) in 2005 2006 and 2007. All the reports are available on the Ministry of Justice's website. The 2005 and 2006 reports are at the following address:
	http://www.dca.gov.uk/foi/reference/statisticsAndReports.htm
	The 2007 report is at this address:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformation quarterly.htm
	The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires public bodies to respond to written requests within 20 working days of receipt, but allows additional time for the consideration of the public interest in disclosing the requested information.

Departmental Furniture

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) chairs,  (b) desks and  (c) other office furnishings have been purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; and at what cost in each case.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 23 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 295-6W and on 29 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1031W.
	Information about expenditure on other office furnishings is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Employment: Lincolnshire

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) part-time and  (b) full-time jobs there were in (i) Cleethorpes, (ii) Great Grimsby, (iii) Brigg and Goole and (iv) Scunthorpe constituency in each year since 1997.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 June 2008:
	.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions. This is the preferred source for estimates at the detailed level requested. Employment estimates are distinct from the number of jobs, which come from the Annual Business Inquiry.
	Table 1, attached, provides estimates based on people aged 16 and over, in full and part-time employment, resident in Cleethorpes, Great Grimsby, Brigg and Goole and Scunthorpe.
	Estimates based on the most recent parliamentary constituency boundaries are only available from 2001. Figures for 2001-2004 are for the twelve months ending February that year. Figures for 2005-2007 are for the twelve months ending March the same year.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people, aged 16 and over, in full and part time( 1)  employment( 2 ) in Cleethorpes, Great Grimsby, Brigg and Goole and Scunthorpe parliamentary constituencies( 3) , 2001-07 
			  Thousand 
			   Cleethorpes  Great Grimsby  Brigg and Goole  Scunthorpe 
			  12 months ending  Ful l- time  Part - time  Total  Ful l- time  Part - time  Total  Ful l- time  Part - time  Total  Ful l- time  Part - time  Total 
			 February 2001(4) 33 13 45 28 10 39 28 10 38 22 7 30 
			 February 2002(4) 32 11 43 30 10 39 28 9 37 24 10 34 
			 February 2003(4) 32 12 43 28 11 39 28 11 40 25 9 34 
			 February 2004(4) 29 12 41 33 12 45 31 11 42 27 9 37 
			 March 2005(5) 29 12 42 28 11 39 28 11 39 28 10 38 
			 March 2006(5) 30 12 42 28 10 38 31 11 42 29 11 40 
			 March 2007(5) 28 12 41 30 12 41 29 11 40 30 12 42 
			 (1,)( )(2) Includes those full-time and part-time on New Deal. (3) 2005 parliamentary constituency boundary revision. (4) Based on annual Labour Force Survey (LFS). (5) Based on Annual Population Survey (APS).  Notes: 1. As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. 2. Due to rounding the totals may not sum.  Source: Annual Population Survey and annual Labour Force Survey

Heads of Government Summit

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) Government officials and  (b) special advisers attended the Heads of Government Summit held on 5 April.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	76 Government officials, which included six special advisers and a number of support staff, were accredited prior to the summit.

Heads of Government Summit

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) people and  (b) nights accommodation were booked by Government officials at The Grove in connection with the Heads of Government Summit held on 5 April 2008.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	Individual delegations were responsible for booking their own accommodation. 10 Government officials stayed at The Grove for the night of 4 April.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether home information packs have been commissioned by  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) its agencies to market a residential property.

Phil Hope: The Cabinet Office is not marketing any residential property and no home information packs have been commissioned.

Life Expectancy: Lincolnshire

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimate he has made of average life expectancy for  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) Cleethorpes, (ii) Great Grimsby, (iii) Brigg and Goole and (iv) Scunthorpe in (A) 1995, (B) 2005 and (C) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 June 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what recent estimate has been made of average life expectancy for (a) men and (b) women in (i) Cleethorpes, (ii) Great Grimsby, (iii) Brigg and Goole and (iv) Scunthorpe in (A) 1995, (B) 2005 and (C) at the latest date for which figures are available. (211975)
	Period life expectancies at birth for (a) males and (b) females for all local authority districts and unitary authorities in England and Wales, for rolling three-year periods from 1991-93 to 2004-06, are published on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=8841
	Life expectancy figures at parliamentary constituency level are not readily available.

Lord Ashcroft

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many freedom of information requests relating to assurances given by Richard Ashcroft on his residency status prior to his elevation to the peerage  (a) have received refusals to supply the requested information,  (b) are, or have been, subject to internal Cabinet Office review and  (c) have been referred to the Information Commissioner.

Tom Watson: The Cabinet Office has received three requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act relating to the assurances given by The Lord Ashcroft on his residency status prior to his elevation to the peerage. The requested information has been refused in all three cases, two of which are now the subject of an internal review. Information about cases referred to the Information Commissioner is not a matter for the Cabinet Office.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from his Department plan to attend the Beijing Olympic Games; to what purpose in each case; and what estimate he has made of the cost.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Olympics and London on 19 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 5-6W.

Skin Cancer

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many cases of skin cancers were diagnosed in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 23 June 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases of skin cancers were diagnosed in each of the last five years.
	The most recent available figures for newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma of skin registered in England are for the year 2005. Figures for the years 2001 to 2005 are in the table below.
	
		
			  Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma of skin( 1) , by sex, England, 2001-05 
			   Male  Female 
			 2001 2,785 3,580 
			 2002 2,922 3,693 
			 2003 3,044 3,830 
			 2004 3,307 4,056 
			 2005 3,663 4,362 
			 (1) Malignant melanoma of skin is coded to C43 in the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10)  Source: Office for National Statistics

Television: Prime Minister

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  from what budget the cost of the television licence fee for the Prime Minister's official residence is met;
	(2)  whether cable or satellite television is provided in the Prime Minister's official residence in Downing street at public expense.

Phil Hope: There is no cost to the public purse.

TREASURY

Biofuels: Subsidies

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on subsidies for biofuel production in the UK in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Over the last three years, the Government's main support for the production of biofuels has been in the form of the 20 pence per litre duty rate reduction for biodiesel and bioethanol. Since April 2008, support has been focused through the renewable transport fuel obligation. This support has been available to both domestic and imported biofuels and information is not available on the amount spent on each category.
	Farmers can receive the single payment for biofuel crops grown on set-aside and non set-aside land. However, as data on the end use of arable crops are not collected, it is not possible to give the amount spent specifically on biofuel crops.
	Farmers can also claim the EU's €45/ha energy aid payment where energy crops are grown on non set-aside land with a contract for energy end use. However, this does not differentiate between crops grown for biofuels or the generation of heat and power. The cost of this support for the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   England  Wales  Scotland 
			 2005 2,510,221 856 116,492 
			 2006 4,163,214 2,028 265,902 
			 2007 3,822,057 (1)4,968 (1)236,084 
			 (1 )There are a few claims still to be processed. 
		
	
	Capital grants have also been provided by the Regional Development Agencies for the construction of processing plants.

Corporation Tax: Tax Avoidance

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of corporate tax avoided in the last year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: In March 2008 HMRC released details of analysis from 2005 that attempted to derive estimates of the direct tax gap at the start of the decade; see
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/measuring-tax-gap.pdf.

Departmental Home Working

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department are authorised to work from home.

Angela Eagle: We do not collect this information centrally.

Departmental Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each such inquiry.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury has commissioned no independent inquiries in the last five years.

Departmental Trade Unions

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which trades unions represent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies.

Angela Eagle: The information is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Department  Trades Union 
			 HM Treasury First Division Association (FDA) and Public and Commercial Services (PCS) 
			 OGC PCS and Prospect 
			 Valuation Office Agency PCS and Prospect 
			 HMRC PCS and the Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC). PCS represents staff at all departmental grades. ARC represents staff in Grade 7 and above and in the Fast Stream Development Programme 
			 NS&I PCS 
			 Debt Management Office (DMO) None. DMO do not recognise Union membership 
			 OGCBS PCS, Prospect 
			 Royal Mint Unite, Prospect, PCS 
			 Government Actuary Department Prospect and PCS

Export Credits Guarantee Dept: Sustainable Development

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Export Credits Guarantee Department is taking to promote environmental sustainability.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	In its statement of business principles, published in December 2000, ECGD stated that its activities would
	"take into account the Government's international policies, including those on sustainable development, environment, human rights, good governance and trade".
	ECGD set out in its case impact analysis process (CIAP) how it would assess the environmental and social impacts of the goods or services to be exported and the overseas projects for which it has received applications for support. This document describes ECGD's approach to assessing those impacts and states that projects which comply with the relevant international standards will normally be considered to be acceptable on environmental and social impact grounds.
	In the 'Sustainable Development and Human Rights' section of its statement of business principles, ECGD stated that it would:
	"press for the establishment of a multilateral framework of common guidelines for assessing environmental and social issues related to project implementation".
	ECGD played an instrumental role in securing agreement within the OECD in 2004 to the OECD Council Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits (the Common Approaches). This recommends that OECD members, before taking decisions on officially supported export credits, should apply common approaches for identifying and evaluating the environmental impacts of projects and existing operations that benefit from officially supported export credits. The text of the Common Approaches was revised in June 2007; this brought the OECD recommendation closer into line with ECGD's existing practices.
	In 2006, ECGD was also instrumental in obtaining agreement at the OECD on improvements in the terms under which OECD export credit agencies can provide support for exports to renewable energy projects.
	The texts of ECGD's business principles and of its CIAP are available through ECGD's website:
	www.ecgd.gov.uk.
	The text of the 2007 Common Approaches is available from the OECD at:
	http://webdomino1.oecd.org/olis/2007doc.nsf//Linkto/tad-ecg(2007)9.

Financial Services Authority: Publications

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) policy papers and  (b) consultation papers have been issued by the Financial Services Authority in each of the last 10 years.

Kitty Ussher: The matter raised in this question is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day to day operations are independent from Government control and influence. I have asked the Chief Executive of the FSA to write to the hon. Member on the issue she raises.

Foreign Relations: India

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made establishing an Indo-British economic and financial dialogue on bilateral and global issues since the joint declaration with India of 20 September 2004.

Yvette Cooper: The first meeting of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue, led by then Chancellor of the Exchequer my right hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowden Heath and Indian Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram, was held in New Delhi, India on 18 January 2007.
	In the meeting, Ministers and officials from both sides discussed issues on the current global economic situation, financial services, climate change, and using public-private partnership to enhance infrastructure investment.
	A further meeting of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue was held at officials level on 27 September 2007 in London. In addition to the topics covered in the January ministerial meeting, development and financial inclusion issues were also discussed. The Chancellor of the Exchequer held a bilateral meeting with Minister Chidambaram in parallel to the Economic and Financial Dialogue.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer will host the next round of the UK-India Economic and Financial Dialogue in London in July 2008.

Income Tax: Tax Collection

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of uncollected income tax in the last year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Details of the amounts of income tax due from taxpayers or traders in respect of established liabilities for which payment had not been received by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs as at 31 March 2007 are published in the Department's 2006-07 annual accounts and are available on the HMRC website.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-06-07-acc.pdf.

Oil: Commodity Markets

Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the trading of oil using unregulated procedures in London and New York futures exchanges.

Kitty Ussher: Trading on the London futures exchanges is always regulated. Regulation of UK exchanges on which oil and other commodity derivatives are traded is the responsibility of the FSA in the UK and, where appropriate, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in America should the exchange have applied to offer its services there too.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had various discussions with international counterparts in recent months regarding the drivers of oil prices, including at the G8 Finance Ministers Meeting on 14 June in Osaka, and at previous G7 Finance Ministers Meetings in February and April 2008. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Oil: Commodity Markets

Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the quantity of oil traded on the Intercontinental Futures Exchange that is  (a) regulated and  (b) traded using processes which are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Kitty Ussher: ICE Futures Europe is a fully regulated exchange, regulated by the FSA as a recognised investment exchange, as set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA"). All trading on ICE Futures Europe is therefore regulated by the FSA because it is taking place on a regulated market.

Oil: Commodity Markets

Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Financial Services Authority on the operation of the Intercontinental Futures Exchange in relation to oil trading; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: Responsibility for the monitoring of the operation of ICE Futures Europe in relation to oil trading is a matter for the FSA. The FSA is independent of Government.

Oil: Commodity Markets

Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulatory powers the Financial Services Authority has in relation to oil trading on the Intercontinental Futures Exchange.

Kitty Ussher: ICE Futures Europe is a fully regulated exchange, regulated by the FSA as a recognised investment exchange, as set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA"). The FSA therefore has access to all the normal supervisory tools that it can apply to recognised investment exchanges in the UK.

Oil: Prices

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the effect on global oil prices of fuel subsidies in developing countries.

Kitty Ussher: HM Treasury has made no estimate of the effect of fuel subsidies in developing countries on global oil prices. Using 2005 data, the International Energy Agency has estimated that global energy consumption subsidies are likely to be in the magnitude of US$250 billion per year. As highlighted in the June 2008 Treasury paper 'Global Commodities: a long-term vision for stable, secure and sustainable global markets', subsidies inhibit the automatic stabilisation that should occur through changes in consumption as a result of price movements, while resulting in deterioration of Government fiscal positions.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the anticipated savings from the proposed review of HM Revenue and Customs office space in  (a) Cornwall and  (b) England.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC is reviewing all its accommodation so that it is aligned to future business needs and represents best value to the taxpayer. On 11 June 2008, the Department issued proposals for all its offices in Cornwall as well as many other locations throughout the United Kingdom. Consultation on these proposals runs until 6 August, and it is hoped that decisions will be announced before the end of the year.
	In the event that all these proposals were implemented, HMRC estimates that the resulting estates running costs savings from Cornwall would be approximately £640,000 per annum by 2011-12 compared with £91,000,000 for England as a whole.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account was taken of the Government's policy to locate civil servants outside major cities in determining the closure of local tax offices and centralisation of services in Scotland.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is restructuring its business and estate across the whole of the UK in order to achieve business efficiencies and customer service improvements, and release surplus accommodation. Three quarters of its staff already work in and around the major urban centres, and most of its business streams can operate more effectively by consolidating more of their work in fewer locations. In its restructuring plans HMRC is taking account of its specific commitments under the government relocation programme to relocate jobs away from London and the South East.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the possible effects of the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland on the payment and administration of benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The payment and administration of most benefits is a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions. The only benefit payment HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for is child benefit. HMRC is also responsible for tax credits administration.
	HMRC has a network of Enquiry Centres offering face to face advice to HMRC customers including tax credits claimants. If it is decided to close any building housing an Enquiry Centre, those services will continue to be provided, if not from the current building then from one nearby. There is therefore no reason why the proposed closure of any HMRC offices in Scotland should have any effect on the payment or administration either of child benefit or of tax credits.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were available to carry out face-to-face interviews in each HM Revenue and Customs office in Wales in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: There is no central record of the information requested going back over the last five years. HM Revenue and Customs' inquiry centres are the main routes for face to face advice, but other business areas also carry out face to face interviews. The numbers of staff from other areas that were available to carry out face to face interviews in Wales could not be established without incurring disproportionate cost.

Revenue and Customs: Scotland

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at which locations HM Revenue and Customs provide public enquiry services in Scotland.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs provide face to face public Enquiry Centres at the following locations in Scotland.
	Aberdeen
	Ayr
	Buckie
	Coatbridge
	Dumbarton
	Dumfries
	Dundee
	Dunfermline
	Dunoon
	East Kilbride
	Edinburgh—Elgin
	Falkirk
	Galashiels
	Glasgow
	Glenrothes
	Greenock
	Hamilton
	Hawick
	Inverness
	Irvine
	Kirkcaldy
	Livingstone
	Motherwell
	Paisley
	Perth
	Peterhead
	Rothesay
	Stirling
	Wick.

Revenue and Customs: Scotland

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the value of HM Revenue and Customs property holdings in Scotland, broken down by site.

Jane Kennedy: Through the grant of the Strategic Transfer of the Estate to the Private Sector (STEPS) contract, the vast majority of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) property holdings were transferred to Mapeley on 2 April 2001. As a result of this HMRC no longer undertakes formal property valuation appraisals of its property holdings and therefore does not have a recent estimate of the value of such holdings in Scotland.

Tax Credit Office: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for a reply to be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall North's letter of 6 May 2008 to the Tax Credit Office in Preston on two constituents, reference: NE505332A.

Jane Kennedy: The Tax Credit Office expect to be able to reply to my hon. Friend this week. They apologise for the delay in doing so.

Valuation Office: Geographical Information Systems

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the cost of implementing its plans for a geographical information system.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the previous answer given by the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 887W.

Wastes: Exports

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what records HM Revenue and Customs keeps of the amount of waste exported to countries outside the United Kingdom.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs' records of exports from the UK to countries outside the European Community identify goods by a commodity code of up to eight digits. There is no single commodity code in the UK Integrated Tariff for waste as defined by Article 1(1)a of Council Directive 2006/12/EC. Exporters of waste may declare waste materials or goods under a large number of commodity codes according, in some cases, to the material or goods in their original form. HMRC records will include statistical information relating to each commodity code. Some commodity code headings such as metals have specific codes for waste and scrap but in others the code would not distinguish between commodities in their original or waste forms.
	HMRC records also include any shipments of waste to other EU member states by any businesses who are required to submit information to HMRC under EC Regulation 638/2004 (the Intrastat system). The same commodity codes as for non-EU trade apply.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was overpaid to recipients of tax credits in Islwyn constituency in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the number of families with tax credit awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, for 2006-07, which are our latest statistics available, are produced in the HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analysis 2006-07". This publication is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what timetable he has set for making a decision on the application to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the proposed new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth since February 2008; what response was given in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has received some thousands of representations, most before February 2008 but some afterwards. Individual responses are not sent to each but they will be taken into account by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, before he takes his decision on the application. There is no timetable set for this decision taking.

Departmental Coordination

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans his Department has to strengthen co-ordination and communication across Government Departments in an attempt to reduce fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Action to tackle fuel poverty cuts across a number of Departments, and is jointly led by DEFRA and BERR.
	Departments already work closely together, as witnessed by the UK Government and Devolved Administrations' annual report on the UK's Fuel Poverty Strategy, which sets out the action taken to alleviate fuel poverty across the UK.
	The inter-ministerial group on fuel poverty provides a forum for the co-ordination of action to tackle fuel poverty. A meeting of this group is due to be convened.

Departmental Planning Permission

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) planning applications and  (b) licensing applications his Department and its predecessor have submitted in the last 24 months.

Gareth Thomas: The Department and its predecessor made no planning applications or licensing applications in the last 24 months.

Departmental Publications

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will  (a) place in the Library and  (b) publish the respective URLs of each of the documents published to coincide with his Department's nuclear investors conference on 12 June 2008.

Malcolm Wicks: I have placed in the Library and on my Department's website copies of the leaflet "New nuclear—creating our low carbon future—investing in the UK" and of our paper "Strategic Siting Assessment—Preview of Nominations and Assessment Process, Draft Exclusionary and Discretionary Criteria and Indicative Timeline". The URLs for these documents are
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46390.pdf
	and
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46596.pdf

Energy

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to paragraph 4.34 of Budget 2008, how much of the £150 million expenditure pledged by the major energy suppliers will be contributed by each supplier.

Malcolm Wicks: The individual allocations have been calculated by reference to each company's market share based on customer account numbers. Each supplier has agreed to pay a contribution per customer account. The contribution per customer account is then multiplied by the number of customer accounts "owned" by a supplier to arrive at each supplier's contribution.
	A breakdown of suppliers' individual contributions cannot be made available as it contains commercially sensitive information and therefore remains confidential between the Department and the energy supplier.

Energy Supply

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2008,  Official Report, column 828W, on energy: consumption, what the UK's total  (a) energy consumption and  (b) electricity requirement was in each of the last 36 months for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Total inland energy consumption on a primary fuel input basis  (M illion tonnes of oil equivalent )  Consumption of electricity  ( TWh ) 
			  2005   
			 April 20.0 29.72 
			 May 17.8 27.77 
			 June 16.5 26.69 
			 July 15.8 25.84 
			 August 15.8 27.14 
			 September 16.8 26.89 
			 October 17.9 30.50 
			 November 22.3 31.51 
			 December 23.7 33.03 
			
			  2006   
			 January 23.8 33.34 
			 February 22.3 31.20 
			 March 24.5 32.98 
			 April 19.0 28.09 
			 May 18.1 28.06 
			 June 15.6 26.51 
			 July 15.9 26.81 
			 August 15.9 26.70 
			 September 15.8 26.96 
			 October 17.5 29.11 
			 November 21.3 30.97 
			 December 22.5 32.10 
			
			  2007   
			 January 22.7 32.57 
			 February 20.2 29.05 
			 March 21.3 31.33 
			 April 17.4 27.27 
			 May 17.9 27.76 
			 June 15.6 26.69 
			 July 16.0 26.46 
			 August 16.1 26.10 
			 September 16.3 26.85 
			 October 18.6 30.11 
			 November 20.9 32.02 
			 December 22.9 33.87 
			
			  2008   
			 January 22.4 33.49 
			 February 20.7 30.56 
			 March 21.2 31.66 
			  Source: Monthly Tables 1.2 and 5.5 on the BERR Energy website: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/energystats/et1_2.xls and http://stats.berr.gov.uk/energystats/et5_5.xls

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 441W, on the Fair Trade initiative, how much his Department spent on refreshments for official departmental meetings and engagements in each of the last three financial years; and what percentage of this total was spent on Fair Trade products.

Gareth Thomas: Over the last three financial years, my Department has a recorded spend of approximately £1 million each year on refreshments for official meetings and engagements. This spend was through our contracted service provider. It is not possible to separate the spend relating to fair trade products.
	This figure also includes refreshments for meetings booked by external bodies, including other Government Departments, using our conference facilities. It is not possible to separate this spend from that of BERR's, although we do recover these costs.

Financial Reporting Council

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will introduce legislative proposals to impose on the Financial Reporting Council a duty of care towards those directly affected by the failure of firms to meet standards of corporate reporting and governance.

Gareth Thomas: The Government have no such plans.
	Company law imposes statutory responsibilities and sanctions on companies and directors in respect of a range of corporate reporting and governance requirements.

Fuels: Industrial Action

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will issue guidance to emergency planning departments on the provision of fuel to essential users during strikes by fuel supply drivers; and what contingency plans emergency planning departments have established to deal with fuel shortages resulting from industrial action.

Malcolm Wicks: Contingency plans are in place at local level to deal with fuel shortages resulting from events such as industrial action. The National Emergency Plan for Fuel (NEP-F) provides guidance to those responsible for emergency planning on the provision of fuel to essential users such as the emergency services in the event of a significant disruption to fuel supplies. The NEP-F was not utilised during the industrial action involving Shell, Hoyer and Unite.

G8

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proposals the United Kingdom plans to put to the meeting of G8 energy ministers on 6th June.

Malcolm Wicks: On 8 June 2008, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State attended the G8 Energy Ministers' meetings at Aomori in Japan. This was the first ever meeting of G8 Energy Ministers with their counterparts from China, India and the Republic of Korea. Discussion covered a wide range of issues relating to world energy security and combating global climate change.
	I am placing a copy of the statements issued at the end of the meeting in the Libraries of the House.
	The main outcomes were:
	A call for enhanced dialogue and cooperation between oil producers and consumers.
	Recognition that open, transparent markets and fair, effective and efficient regulation are critical to reducing uncertainties and promoting investment.
	Affirmation by the participant countries of the need to maximise investment in their own domestic oil production, coupled with a call on other oil producers to increase investment to keep markets well supplied in response to rising world demand.
	Establishment of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Co-operation (IPEEC)—a groundbreaking co-operation between the G8, China, India and the Republic of Korea (membership is also open to other countries).
	An undertaking to accelerate efficient and lower carbon technology research, development and demonstration. G8 commitment to implementation of the International Energy Agency(IEA)'s 25 recommendations for promoting energy efficiency.
	G8 support for the launch of 20 large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects globally by 2010 with a view to supporting technology development and cost reduction for the beginning of the broad deployment of CCS by 2020.
	A number of these agreements result from the IEA's G8 Gleneagles work programme, which was developed and agreed during the UK's G8 presidency. The full conclusions of the agency's work will be reported to the G8 summit in Hokkaido next month.

International Energy Forum

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what involvement the United Kingdom had in the International Energy Forum held in Rome in April.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK played a full part in the International Energy Forum (IEF) in Rome in April. It was involved in the preparations for the event in its role as a member of the executive board of the IEF Secretariat. Then I led the UK delegation to the forum itself, where I chaired one of the four main sessions of the event on the topic 'Towards a Sustainable Energy Future'. I held bilateral discussions with other Energy Ministers and gave a number of media interviews.
	We were very pleased with the outcome of the forum and its main conclusions which were:
	To call on relevant organisations to explore the understanding of energy market fundamentals and the impact of financial markets;
	To ask the IEF Secretariat to prepare a report focusing on actions to remove key uncertainty factors holding back energy investment;
	To promote increased cooperation between international oil companies (IOCs), national oil companies (NOCs) and service companies
	To encourage renewed technology transfer and collaboration between producing and consuming countries;
	To reaffirm support for the Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI) and the importance of increasing transparency in the oil market.

Irwin Mitchell Solicitors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what payments his Department has made to Irwin Mitchell solicitors for services provided to coal health claimants in the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: The payments made to Irwin Mitchell solicitors for representing claimants under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vibration white finger claims under the Coal Health Compensation schemes is shown in the following table as at 15 June 2008.
	
		
			   £ million 
			   Costs paid to Irwin Mitchell 
			 COPD 11.8 
			 VWF 3.5 
			 Total 15.3 
		
	
	Irwin Mitchell solicitors were also paid £7.9 million for their role on the co-ordinating group of claimants' solicitors including trial costs.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what grant funding is available to businesses under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in 2008-09.

Malcolm Wicks: Under the Low Carbon Buildings programme (LCBP), with an £86 million budget, around £30 million has been allocated to 6,300 projects, including £6.5 million to 154 projects in the private sector. Although all funding streams for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have now closed to new applicants, we are working closely with the Carbon Trust on a number of private sector projects to raise awareness of the potential for combining microgeneration with energy efficiency to develop low carbon buildings. Further details are available at
	www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk.
	Support is available to businesses through the renewables obligation (RO) , the Government's main mechanism for encouraging new renewable electricity generation. All eligible renewable electricity generation installations receive renewable obligation certificates (ROCs). We have announced that under proposed reforms to the RO, microgenerators will be able to claim 2 ROCs for every IMWh of renewable electricity generated. When these changes are introduced the support that microgeneration installations receive from the RO will double to the highest level available.
	Advice is available from a number of sources, including the Carbon Trust who provides site surveys to organisations, including SMEs, looking to reduce their energy demand, save money and manage their carbon emissions more efficiently. Further details are available at www.carbontrust.co.uk/solutions/sme_toolkit.htm. Further assistance is available through Business Link at www.businesslink.gov.uk and Regional Development Agencies at
	www.englandsrdas.com.
	The Renewable Energy Strategy consultation due in the summer will include considerations of the role that microgeneration and distributed energy will play going forward. This will consider a range of possible initiatives such as financial or regulatory instruments, voluntary guidance and providing better information to business and consumers.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of grant funding under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme went to public sector projects in 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: Under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme 10 per cent. of the £86 million budget was committed to public sector projects in 2007.

Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to begin recruitment to the new Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance (NLFA) Board; in which publications he plans to place advertisements; what budget has been allocated for the recruitment of NLFA Board members; and what per diem rate will be paid to Board members.

Malcolm Wicks: We intend to start advertising for the chair and members of the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board before the end of June, and advertisements will be placed in publications that will attract candidates with the level of experience and skills required. The budget will be affected by the choice of publications, which has not yet been finalised. A candidate information pack will be available shortly containing details of the recruitment process, along with remuneration information.

Offshore Drilling: Oil

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  whether permission is required for exploratory drilling for oil or other minerals within  (a) three miles,  (b) six miles or  (c) 200 miles or the median line off the coast of the UK;
	(2)  when exploratory drilling last took place for  (a) oil,  (b) other sources of energy and  (c) minerals off the coast of (i) the Isles of Scilly, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) South West England, and in the wider Western Approaches and Celtic Sea;
	(3)  what records he holds of exploratory drilling for  (a) oil,  (b) other sources of energy and  (c) minerals within 200 miles or the median line from the coast of (i) the Isles of Scilly, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) South West England;
	(4)  what  (a) records and  (b) maps his Department holds of (i) oil, (ii) other sources of energy and (iii) other mineral resources identified within 200 miles or the median line off the coast of the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department holds, or has access to, records of all UK drilling activity to search for or get petroleum. It also holds maps of all producing oil and gas fields on the UK Continental Shelf and onshore, and details of UK offshore wind farm locations. Records or maps are not held by my Department for other mineral deposits.
	The following drilling activity has taken place for oil and gas off the coasts of (i) the Isles of Scilly, (ii) Cornwall and (iii) South West England, in the area out to the respective median lines and (iv) in the wider Western Approaches and Celtic sea:
	
		
			  Area  Location  Block/well number(s)  Operator  Date 
			 (i) Isles of Scilly 83/24- 1 D. Energy(1) 1977 
			   86/18- 1 BP 1979 
			   85/28- 1A BP 1982 
			   86/17-1 Murphy 1983 
			  
			 (ii) S. Cornwall 87/14- 1 D. Energy(1) 1977 
			   87/16- 1 D. Energy(1) 1977 
			   88/02-1 D. Energy(1) 1977 
			   87/12- 1A BP 1979 
			 (ii) N. Cornwall 93/02- 1 BP 1974 
			   93/06- 1 BP 1977 
			   93/02- 2 BP 1986 
			   93/02 - 3 BP 1989 
			  
			 (iii) South Western Approaches 72/10- 1A BP 1979 
			   73/07- 1 Conoco 1981 
			   74/01- 1A BG 1982 
			   73/08- 1 Chevron 1982 
			   73/12- 1A Lasmo 1982 
			   73/01- 1A BP 1982 
			   73/02- 1 A. Hess 1983 
			   73/05- 1 BP 1983 
			   73/04- 1 Chevron 1983 
			   73/13- 1 Murphy 1983 
			   73/06- 1 BP 1986 
			   73/14-1 Murphy 1986 
			  
			 (iv) Wider Western Approaches and Celtic sea 102/28- 1 Shell 1973 
			   103/18- 1 Shell 1976 
			   103/21- 1 BP 1976 
			   102/29- 1 Conoco 1977 
			   103/02- 1 Texaco 1977 
			   102/28-2 Conoco 1991 
			   103/01- 1 Marathon 1994 
			   103/01a-2 Marathon 2005 
			 (1) Drilled on behalf of the (then) Department of Energy. 
		
	
	No records are held by my Department for drilling activity for other sources of energy and minerals.
	Under the terms of the Petroleum Act 1998, written permission from the Secretary of State is required for all exploration drilling in UK, apart from exploration for coal onshore and within the UK's territorial waters. This requires the written consent of our non-departmental public body, the Coal Authority.
	I am advised by the Coal Authority that identified coal deposits lie off the coast of the UK in the Firth of Forth, North East England, Yorkshire and East Anglia, Kent, North and South Wales, the Irish sea and the North West of England. These have been mined in certain areas and explored in others to varying degrees and the Coal Authority and the British Geological Survey hold records of past mining and exploration works.
	In addition coal and lignite (brown coal) occurs in basins in the South Celtic sea and St George's Channel off the coasts of South West England but the Coal Authority do not hold any records of exploratory drilling into these deposits.

Overseas Trade: China

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department work on the promotion of trade between the United Kingdom and China; and how many in his predecessor Department did so in  (a) 1983,  (b) 1987 and  (c) each year between 1998 and 2006.

Gareth Thomas: There are currently seven full-time equivalent positions working on trade promotion with China in UK Trade and Investment's China Markets Unit based in London.
	Figures for staff in the unit for previous years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2007 7 
			 2006 6 
			 2005 7 
		
	
	In addition there are, and have been historically, a significant number of officials within BERR, UKTI and the former DTI who deal with trade promotion with China as part of their broader responsibilities. This information is not held centrally though, and to establish proportionate full-time equivalent figures would entail disproportionate costs.
	70.75 full-time equivalent staff based in the British embassy and consulates general in China work on trade promotion with China. In addition, since 2007, 28 full-time equivalent staff of the China Britain Business Council, based in the UK and China, have delivered, on behalf of UKTI, the majority of trade services in respect of China.
	Historical data for previous years would require information from a number of sources, some of which are not held centrally. Such information may be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Petrol Alternatives

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to develop viable alternative fuels; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 16 June 2008
	The UK needs a diverse mix of low-carbon energy sources to contribute to our energy and climate change goals. The Energy White Paper set out the Government's policy to tackling our key challenges and the guiding principle of market access to all the options available so we can have a diverse and increasingly low carbon energy mix, enabling us to respond to the rapidly changing challenges we will face in the future.
	The challenge of moving towards a lower carbon economy requires us to develop a portfolio of low carbon energy technologies such as carbon abatement technologies, hydrogen and fuel cells, nuclear power and renewables. On 19 November 2007, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the Government competition for a full scale demonstration of carbon, capture and storage technologies on a coal fired power plant and on 10 January my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State invited companies to bring forward proposals to build new nuclear power stations. In the summer the Government will launch a consultation on what more we should do to increase renewable energy use to meet our share of the EU 2020 renewables target.
	Public sector funding for low carbon technology innovation is being delivered through the Research Councils, the Technology Strategy Board, Energy Technologies Institute and the Environmental Transformation Fund. These bodies work closely together to ensure that funding activities are complementary and together effectively supports a portfolio of technologies.

Renewable Energy

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department spent on research into alternative energies in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 16 June 2008
	 The Department and Research Council expenditure on research into alternative energies since 1996-97 is set out as follows. The technologies included are bioenergy, hydrogen, solar/PV, wave and tidal and wind.
	
		
			  BERR Alternative Energy research spend 
			   Total (£000) 
			 1997-98 4,448 
			 1998-99 3,334 
			 1999-2000 3,914 
			 2000-01 3,954 
			 2001-02 5,217 
			 2002-03 10,495 
			 2003-04 11,234 
			 2004-05 5,673 
			 2005-06 5,453 
			 2006-07 4,539 
		
	
	
		
			  The Research Council spend, which includes fusion 
			   Total (£000) 
			 1997-98 23,603 
			 1998-99 21,202 
			 1999-2000 21,890 
			 2000-01 25,334 
			 2001-02 24,677 
			 2002-03 26,018 
			 2003-04 27,942 
			 2004-05 34,986 
			 2005-06 35,455 
			 2006-07 43,779 
		
	
	In addition, the Research Councils have supported further research relating to energy in the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which has some £15.6 million funding from Research Councils over 2000 to 2009, and in the work of the UK Energy Research Centre which commenced operation in 2004, with a budget of £13.9 million for 2004 to 2009.

Renewable Energy: Scotland

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of the UK's renewable energy generation target is planned to be met from generation in Scotland; and what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the matter.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 20 June 2008
	The European Commission's proposed target of 15 per cent. renewable energy in the UK by 2020 does not specify where in the UK renewables should be located. The Government will consult over the summer on what more we should do to increase renewable energy use to meet the UK's share of the target.
	We are working with all the devolved Administrations in developing our consultation.

Solar Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the potential of solar  (a) hot water and  (b) photovoltaics to contribute to the UK's share of the EU's 2020 renewable energy target; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We will be assessing the contribution that different technologies, including solar thermal hot water and solar photovoltaics, can make to meeting the 2020 renewable energy targets through our renewable energy strategy consultation document that will be published in the summer.

Tidal Power: Environmental Impact Assessment

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to publish the strategic environmental assessment of sites for tidal stream generation in English and Welsh waters.

Malcolm Wicks: A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a requirement for all offshore commercial projects that form part of a plan or programme e.g. offshore wind farms. However, in order to design a suitable SEA for commercial marine renewable, adequate knowledge of pre-commercial marine renewables needs to be acquired. There are insufficient data available at present to test different scenarios under an SEA. Therefore, an SEA would be unlikely to provide much helpful information at this stage as it would be very difficult to predict impacts of marine renewable technologies prior to their deployment for demonstration. This position is set out in our "Guidance on Consenting Arrangements in England and Wales for a Pre-Commercial Demonstration Phase for Wave and Tidal Stream Energy Devices (Marine Renewables)" http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/filel5470.pdf . Once sufficient data becomes available from demonstration projects we will review the need to publish an SEA of sites for tidal stream generation. Completion of an SEA will be a pre-condition for the start of any plan or programme for a commercial phase and will be subject to full public consultation.

UK Trade and Investment: Contracts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the procurement procedures followed by UKTI in respect of the contract recently awarded to Greater London Enterprise Ltd.

Gareth Thomas: UKTI's South East team awarded a grant, not a contract for services, to GLE Ltd. It was awarded following the publication of a bidding opportunity entitled "Offer of Grant Funding to Deliver UKTI Trade Services in the South East" issued 4 September 2007. All relevant procedures were correctly followed.

UK Trade and Investment: Contracts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what has been the cost to the public purse recently for the decision by UKTI to tender the contract hitherto held by WSX and subsequently awarded to Greater London Enterprise (GLE) Ltd, broken down by  (a) the costs of the tender exercise itself and  (b) changes to the annual costs resulting from the decision to award the contract to GLE Ltd.

Gareth Thomas: We do not separately identify non-direct costs associated with the award of grant. The value of grant offer for 2008-09 was £6,000 less than the value of the grant offer originally issued to WSX for the 2007-08 financial year.

UK Trade and Investment: Contracts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for what reason the contract let by UKTI to Greater London Enterprise Ltd was signed while the internal appeal lodged by WSX was outstanding.

Gareth Thomas: Issues raised by WSX were addressed by UKTI: there was no outstanding internal appeal. The grant was awarded correctly.

UK Trade and Investment: Contracts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what date discussions first took place between UKTI and Greater London Enterprise (GLE) Ltd on the contract subsequently awarded to GLE Ltd; and on what date WSX was notified that the contract they held would be put out to tender.

Gareth Thomas: All registered bidders were given the opportunity to talk to UKTI's South East team to discuss the offer of grant funding. The first contact with GLE Ltd. was on 12 September 2007. WSX were notified about UKTI's intention to competitively bid the offer of grant funding on or before 6 July 2007.

UK Trade and Investment: Manpower

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many UK Trade and Investment staff are employed  (a) in each region in the UK and  (b) in each country outside the UK.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment is not an employer in its own right. For the majority of its human resource requirements it draws on civil service staff employed by one or other of its two parent Departments, BERR and the FCO. Overseas, most of the people working for UKTI are from the FCO; in the UK regional network people are mainly international trade advisers, drawn from the Government office network or people with business experience working for delivery partners to deliver UKTI services.
	The following table shows the number of UKTI staff employed by each country, and are based on the latest consolidated and agreed figures with the FCO (including the transfer of Defence and Security organisation posts from MoD to the FCO). Full-time equivalents (FTEs) are rounded to nearest tenth.
	
		
			  Market  Number 
			 Algeria 3.1 
			 Angola 2.1 
			 Argentina 7.5 
			 Australia 33.1 
			 Austria 4.2 
			 Azerbaijan 2.1 
			 Bahrain 4.4 
			 Bangladesh 4.0 
			 Barbados 3.3 
			 Belgium 11.2 
			 Bosnia 2.1 
			 Brazil 38.2 
			 Brunei 3.4 
			 Bulgaria 4.4 
			 Canada 27.5 
			 Chile 7.0 
			 China 92.3 
			 Colombia 3.5 
			 Costa Rica 1.6 
			 Croatia 4.1 
			 Cuba 2.2 
			 Cyprus 4.2 
			 Czech Republic 12.5 
			 Denmark 11.1 
			 Dominican Republic 2.1 
			 Ecuador 2.2 
			 Egypt 8.8 
			 Estonia 4.6 
			 Ethiopia 2.1 
			 Finland 8.0 
			 France 42.5 
			 Germany 36.8 
			 Ghana 4.2 
			 Greece 8.2 
			 Hong Kong 26.8 
			 Hungary 13.4 
			 Iceland 2.1 
			 India 97.4 
			 Indonesia 11.7 
			 Iran 7.0 
			 Iraq 1.4 
			 Ireland 14.0 
			 Israel 8.2 
			 Italy 22.8 
			 Jamaica 2.7 
			 Japan 60.0 
			 Jordan 6.2 
			 Kazakhstan 4.9 
			 Kenya 2.9 
			 Kuwait 7.9 
			 Latvia 3.2 
			 Lebanon 3.1 
			 Libya 6.0 
			 Lithuania 3.2 
			 Luxemburg 0.4 
			 Malaysia 19.0 
			 Mexico 28.1 
			 Morocco 6.0 
			 Mozambique 1.6 
			 Netherlands 9.1 
			 New Zealand 7.6 
			 Nigeria 13.0 
			 Norway 12.1 
			 Occupied Palestine 1.3 
			 Oman 7.3 
			 Pakistan 8.3 
			 Panama 2.2 
			 Peru 4.8 
			 Philippines 8.7 
			 Poland 17.2 
			 Portugal 11.0 
			 Qatar 7.0 
			 Romania 9.3 
			 Russia 24.1 
			 Saudi Arabia 21.4 
			 Senegal 0.3 
			 Serbia 4.5 
			 Singapore 16.4 
			 Slovakia 4.1 
			 Slovenia 3.2 
			 South Africa 21.5 
			 South Korea 18.9 
			 Spain 30.3 
			 Sri Lanka 3.9 
			 Sudan 1.8 
			 Sweden 12.0 
			 Switzerland 13.6 
			 Syria 4.1 
			 Taiwan 16.3 
			 Tanzania 2.3 
			 Thailand 13.6 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 1.8 
			 Tunisia 2.6 
			 Turkey 18.9 
			 UAE 26.6 
			 Uganda 1.1 
			 Ukraine 2.5 
			 USA 116.3 
			 Venezuela 5.3 
			 Vietnam 18.9 
			 Yemen 0.2 
			 Total 1,292.4 
		
	
	The UK regional breakdown of the (just under) 400 people funded by UKTI currently working in our regional teams is broadly as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 North East 34 
			 East 45 
			 London 40 
			 North West 42 
			 South East 57 
			 South West 39 
			 West Midlands 50 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 42 
			 East Midlands 43 
			 Total 392

Warm Home and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what files his Department holds on the Warm Home and Energy Conservation Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department holds numerous files relating to the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, including files relating to the Government's policies for tackling fuel poverty arising from duties under that Act.

Wind Power

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what rate of installation of off-shore wind turbines will be required to meet the Government's 25 gigawatt target for renewable power generation; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government do not have a target for 25 GW of renewable power generation.
	At the spring European Council in March 2007, EU Heads of Government agreed to a target to supply 20 per cent. of the EU's energy—heat, electricity and transport—from renewable sources by 2020. Agreement has not yet been reached on the contribution that each member state will make towards this EU target. The Commission has proposed a UK target that 15 per cent. of its energy should come from renewable sources but agreement has not yet been reached.
	On 10 December 2007, the Government announced the launch of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on a draft plan for up to 25 GW (installed capacity) of new offshore wind farms by 2020. Depending on the results of the SEA and the magnitude of impacts identified, the Government take a decision on what the acceptable level of offshore wind development is.
	Developers would then be required to bid for site leases through leasing competitions to be held by the Crown Estate and, if successful, conduct their own site evaluations and undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment before applying for the necessary development and environmental consents to build an offshore wind farm.
	The number of offshore wind turbines therefore required up to 2020 will depend on the outcome of the SEA, a future decision by the Government on the level of offshore wind generation, and on the size of turbines selected by developers for specific sites.

Wind Power

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many wind farm sites there were in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years; what the location is of each; what total installed wind turbine capacity was in each such year; what forecast he has made of such capacity in each of the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: According to the British Wind Energy Association, the total number of operational wind farms in the United Kingdom, at the end of each year was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1998 42 
			 1999 47 
			 2000 58 
			 2001 66 
			 2002 77 
			 2003 85 
			 2004 97 
			 2005 118 
			 2006 140 
			 2007 169 
		
	
	There are currently 175 operational wind farms in the UK (June 2008).
	The location and capacity of all wind of the 175 wind farms is:
	
		
			  Online  Wind farm  Location  MW capacity 
			 pre 98 Novar Highland 17 
			 pre98 Llyn Alaw Anglesey 20.4 
			 pre 98 Harlock Hill Cumbria 2.5 
			 pre 98 Rheidol Ceredigion 2.4 
			 pre 98 Lynch Knoll Gloucestershire 0.5 
			 pre 98 Oldside Cumbria 5.4 
			 pre 98 Carno 'A1 and 'B' Powys 33.6 
			 pre 98 Siddick Cumbria 4.2 
			 pre 98 Windy Standard Dumfries and Galloway 21.6 
			 pre 98 Trysglwyn Gwynedd 5.6 
			 pre 98 Owenreagh Co Tyrone 5 
			 pre 98 Slieve Rushen Co Fermanagh 5 
			 pre 98 Hagshaw Hill South Lanarkshire 15.6 
			 pre 98 Bessy Bell Co Tyrone 5 
			 pre 98 Elliot's Hill Co Antrim 5 
			 pre 98 Rigged Hill Co Londonderry 5 
			 pre 98 Four Burrows Cornwall 4.5 
			 pre 98 Dyffryn Brodyn Ceredigion 5.5 
			 pre 98 Bryn Titli Powys 9.9 
			 pre 98 St Breock Cornwall 4.95 
			 pre 98 Corkey Co Antrim 5 
			 pre 98 Royd Moor South Yorkshire 6.5 
			 pre 98 Kirkby Moor Cumbria 4.8 
			 pre 98 Taff Ely Rhondda Cynon Taff 9 
			 pre 98 Ovenden Moor West Yorkshire 9.2 
			 pre 98 Goonhilly Downs Cornwall 5.6 
			 pre 98 Cold Northcott Cornwall 6.8 
			 pre 98 Blyth Harbour Northumberland 2.7 
			 pre 98 Chelker Reservoir North Yorkshire 1.2 
			 pre 98 Blood Hill Norfolk 2.25 
			 pre 98 Coal Clough Lancashire 9.6 
			 pre 98 Llandinam P and L Powys 30.9 
			 pre 98 Rhyd-y-Groes Ceredigion 7.2 
			 pre 98 Garland Cross Cornwall 6 
			 pre 98 Delabole Cornwall 4 
			 pre 98 Black Scout Wind Farm Lancashire 1.97 
			 pre 98 Carhill Wind Turbine Co Londonderry 0.23 
			 pre 98 Paul's Hill extension Moray 9 
			 1998 Slievenahanaghan Co Antrim 1 
			 1998 Hafoty Ucha 1 Gwynedd 0.6 
			 1998 Haverigg II Cumbria 2.4 
			 1998 Mynydd Gorddu Ceredigion 10.2 
			 1999 Winscales Cumbria 1.98 
			 1999 Eco Tech Centre Norfolk 1.5 
			 1999 Askam Cumbria 4.62 
			 1999 Beinn Ghlas Argyll and Bute 8.4 
			 1999 Royal Seaforth Dock Merseyside 3.6 
			 2000 Burra Dale Shetland Islands 1.98 
			 2000 Blyth Offshore Northumberland 3.8 
			 2000 Hare Hill East Ayrshire 13 
			 2000 Sigurd Orkney 1.3 
			 2000 Lambrigg Cumbria 6.5 
			 2000 Somerton Norfolk 1.5 
			 2000 Dun Law Scottish Borders 17.6 
			 2000 Kirkheaton Northumberland 1.8 
			 2000 Lowca Cumbria 4.62 
			 2000 Lendrum's Bridge Phase I Co Tyrone 5.94 
			 2000 Great Orton II Cumbria 3.96 
			 2001 Myres Hill East Renfrewshire 1.9 
			 2001 Beinn an Tuirc Argyll and Bute 30 
			 2001 High Hedleyhope County Durham 2.25 
			 2001 Tow Law County Durham 2.3 
			 2001 Deucheran Hill Argyll and Bute 15 
			 2001 Bears Down Cornwall 9.6 
			 2001 Sainsburys, Langlands Park South Lanarkshire 0.6 
			 2001 Pare Cynog Carmarthenshire 3.6 
			 2002 Hafoty Ucha 2 extension Gwynedd 1.7 
			 2002 Moel Maelogen Conwy 2.6 
			 2002 Tangy Argyll and Bute 12.75 
			 2002 Lendrum's Bridge Phase II Co Tyrone 7.26 
			 2002 Bowbeat Scottish Borders 31.2 
			 2002 Mablethorpe Lincolnshire 1.2 
			 2002 Blaen Bowi Carmarthenshire 3.9 
			 2002 Thorfinn, Burgar Hill Orkney 2.75 
			 2002 Cemmaes Powys 15.3 
			 2002 Out Newton Humberside 9 
			 2002 Bu Farm Orkney 2.7 
			 2003 High Volts (3Hs) County Durham 8.25 
			 2003 North Hoyle Denbighshire 60 
			 2003 Beaufort Court (RES Office) Hertfordshire 0.225 
			 2003 Swaffham Extension Norfolk 1.8 
			 2003 Altahullion Phase I Co Londonderry 26 
			 2003 Forss 1 , Hill of Lybster Highland 2.32 
			 2003 Burra Dale Extension Shetland Islands 1.7 
			 2003 Mawla (Moel Maelogen) Conwy 1.3 
			 2004 Gigha Community Highland 0.675 
			 2004 Causeymire Highland 48 
			 2004 Bambers Farm Lincolnshire 1.2 
			 2004 Hare Hill (3Hs) County Durham 5.5 
			 2004 Castle Pill Farm Pembrokeshire 0.5 
			 2004 Cruach Mhor Argyll and Bute 29.75 
			 2004 Crystal Rig Scottish Borders 50 
			 2004 Holmside Hall (3Hs) County Durham 5.5 
			 2004 Ford Motors London 3.6 
			 2004 Scroby Sands Norfolk 60 
			 2004 Ardrossan North Ayrshire 24 
			 2004 Llangwyryfon Ceredigion 9.35 
			 2005 Nissan Motors Plant Tyne and Wear 3.96 
			 2005 Green Park Berkshire 2 
			 2005 Coldham Cambridgeshire 16 
			 2005 Kentish Flats Kent 90 
			 2005 Boulfruich Highland 13 
			 2005 Black Law A (Part of Black Law 1) South Lanarkshire 97 
			 2005 Tir Mostyn and Foel Goch Denbighshire 21.25 
			 2005 Glens of Foudland Aberdeenshire 26 
			 2005 Artfield Fell Dumfries and Galloway 19.5 
			 2005 Rothes (Cairn Uish) Moray 50.6 
			 2005 Cefn Croes (inc Devils Bridge, Bryn Du NFFO Contract) Ceredigion 58.5 
			 2005 Long Hill Road Cambridgeshire 2 
			 2005 Forest Moor Devon 2.7 
			 2005 Haverigg III Cumbria 3.4 
			 2005 Tappaghan Mountain Co Fermanagh 19.5 
			 2005 Winscales extension Cumbria 6.8 
			 2005 Antrim Area Hospital Co Antrim 0.66 
			 2005 Burray Orkney 0.85 
			 2005 The Abbey Group - Ramsey Site Cambridgeshire 0.225 
			 2005 Ness Point Suffolk 2.75 
			 2005 Spurness Wind Farm Orkney 11 
			 2006 North Pickenham Windfarm Norfolk 14.4 
			 2006 Bambers Farm II Lincolnshire 4.8 
			 2006 Eastman (Voridian) Cumbria 4 
			 2006 Black Law B (Part of Black Law 1) South Lanarkshire 27.6 
			 2006 Beinn Tharsuinn Highland 30 
			 2006 Caton Moor Repowering Lancashire 16 
			 2006 Barrow Cumbria 90 
			 2006 Gedney Marsh (Red House) Lincolnshire 12 
			 2006 Deeping St Nicholas Lincolnshire 16 
			 2006 Ffynnon Oer Neath Port Talbot 32 
			 2006 Wardlaw Wood (Dairy Community Windfarm) North Ayrshire 18 
			 2006 Farr Windfarm Highland 92 
			 2006 Michelin Tyre Factory Dundee City 4 
			 2006 Boyndie Airfield Aberdeenshire 20 
			 2006 Burton Wold Wind Farm Northamptonshire 20 
			 2006 Paul's Hill Moray 55.2 
			 2006 Mynydd Clogau Powys 14.45 
			 2006 Glass Moor Cambridgeshire 16 
			 2006 Hadyard Hill, Barr South Ayrshire 120 
			 2006 Findhorn Foundation Moray 0.75 
			 2006 Callagheen Co Fermanagh 16.9 
			 2006 Hafoty Ucha 3 extension Gwynedd 0.85 
			 2007 Ben Aketil Highland 23 
			 2007 McCains Foods Cambridgeshire 9 
			 2007 Greendykeside Wind Farm South Lanarkshire 4 
			 2007 Wolf Bog Co Antrim 10 
			 2007 Altahullion Phase II Co Londonderry 11.7 
			 2007 Stags Holt Cambridgeshire 18 
			 2007 Burbo Bank Merseyside 90 
			 2007 Craig Wind Farm Dumfries and Galloway 8 
			 2007 Wharrels Hill Cumbria 10.4 
			 2007 Bin Mountain Co Tyrone 9 
			 2007 Fintry (The FREE Turbine) Stirling 2.5 
			 2007 Bristol Port Wind Park Ltd Gloucestershire 6 
			 2007 Earlsburn Stirling 35 
			 2007 Forss, extension Hill Of Lybster Highland 5.2 
			 2007 Lough Hill Resubmission Co Tyrone 7.8 
			 2007 Beatrice Offshore 10 
			 2007 Hill of Balquhindachy Aberdeenshire 0.85 
			 2007 Hill of Eastertown Aberdeenshire 1.7 
			 2007 Crystal Rig 1a Scottish Borders 12.5 
			 2007 Wether Hill Dumfries and Galloway 18.2 
			 2007 Ransonmoor Farm Cambridgeshire 10 
			 2007 Dummuie Aberdeenshire 10.4 
			 2007 WWU High Pow Cumbria 3.9 
			 2007 Red Tile Cambridgeshire 24 
			 2007 WWA High Sharpley County Durham 2.6 
			 2007 Black Hill Scottish Borders 28.6 
			 2007 Braes O' Doune Stirling 72 
			 2007 WWB Burgar Hill Orkney 5 
			 2007 WWP Hameldon Hill Lancashire 4.5 
			 2008 Bessy Bell Extension Co Tyrone 9 
			 2008 Conisholme Fen Re-submission Lincolnshire 16 
			 2008 Minsca Farm Dumfries and Galloway 36.8 
			 2008 Slieve Rushen Repowering Co Fermanagh 54 
			 2008 Westmill Oxfordshire 6.5 
			 2008 Braich Ddu Farm Gwynedd 4.5 
		
	
	Therefore, based on these figures, the installed capacity for the past 10 years is:
	
		
			   Total (MW) 
			 1998 314.8 
			 1999 334.9 
			 2000 396.9 
			 2001 462.15 
			 2002 552.51 
			 2003 654.1 
			 2004 892.18 
			 2005 1,339.87 
			 2006 1,964.82 
			 2007 2,418.67 
		
	
	The Department does not produce forecasts for wind generation over the next 10 years. Scenarios on future growth of wind farms are being made as part of the renewables energy strategy consultation document which is due for publication later this summer and will appear on the BERR website.

Wind Power

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many applications for establishment of wind farm sites he  (a) received,  (b) accepted and  (c) rejected in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Since the beginning of June 2007:
	 (a) Three applications in respect of onshore wind farms (Llanbadarn Fynydd, Llaithddu and Llandinam) and three applications for offshore wind farms (Gunfleet Sands II, Ormonde and Humber Gateway) have been received by BERR. In addition, the Secretary of State has received the Inspector's report on the appeal in respect of a wind farm adjacent to the Alcan Smelter, Lynemouth. That case will be jointly determined with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
	 (b) Three applications for onshore wind farms (Fullabrook Down, Keadby and Tween Bridge) and three applications for offshore wind farms (Teesside, Walney and Gunfleet Sands II) have been granted consent by the Secretary of State.
	 (c) No applications have been refused consent by the Secretary of State. One application for an onshore wind farm (Orby Marsh) was withdrawn by the developer.